TSA Pulled a Set of Movie-Villain Claw Blades Out of a Carry-On at Sea-Tac. The Passenger Forgot They Were There.

SEATTLE, Oct. 30, 2026 — A TSA officer asked a passenger at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport a simple question: Was there anything sharp in his bag? He said he wasn't sure. There were three blades.

Officer Douglas Linn spotted the item on the X-ray screen at a security checkpoint and flagged it right away, the Transportation Security Administration said. "I saw three blades and distinct claw-like features," Linn said. "I was amazed, and even more so when it came out of the bag. I have never seen anything like this during my two years at TSA."

The agency's own description of the thing was that it "resembled a mix between Wolverine-style claws and Freddy Krueger blades," which is to say a comic-book mutant and a horror-movie slasher walked into an airport and left one piece of luggage behind.

Officer Dennis Oishi searched the bag and pulled the claws out. That jogged the passenger's memory. He "immediately remembered the items" and voluntarily abandoned them at the checkpoint, according to the TSA.

Even a veteran was caught off guard. "In my seven years with TSA, this is one of the most unusual items I have encountered," said Supervisory TSA Officer Ann Rhoades. "My first thought was, 'Oh my gosh,' and my second thought was, 'Is this what I think it is?'"

The catch happened in August, according to ABC News, but the agency only shared it this week, just in time for Halloween. In a post on X, it offered travelers some practical advice, CBS News reported: "Please pack all mutant blades in a checked bag."

That is not a joke, exactly. Sharp objects such as knives and box cutters are allowed in checked luggage as long as they are sheathed or securely wrapped to protect baggage handlers and inspectors.