Airports have reportedly hired extra security to watch hundreds of unclaimed luggage as thousands of passengers were left stranded at airports all over the country.
Hundreds of unclaimed suitcases are pictured near the Southwest Airlines baggage claim area at Nashville International Airport on Tuesday, after the airline cancelled thousands of flights in Nashville, Tennessee.
More than 60,000 flights were cancelled by Southwest Airlines around the country over the Christmas holiday due to the “bomb cyclone” snowstorm that gripped the Northeast. The cancellations caused chaos at airports across America.
RELATED: Biden’s Energy Official Arrested and Charged with Stealing Woman’s Luggage
TSA officials don’t want a repeat of bag theft incidents after a former Biden official was arrested and charged with stealing designer luggage at two separate airports.
Sam Brinton, a former deputy secretary for nuclear waste at the U.S. Department of Energy, was let go after surveillance cameras captured him casually walking off with hard-sided designer bags at Harry Reid International Airport in Nevada during the summer and Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport in September.
Brinton was charged with felony theft in both incidents. He appeared at a bond hearing in Las Vegas earlier this month and was released on $15,000 bond.
Brinton, 35, went viral in June as the first “gender-fluid” official at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
He was terminated by the Department of Energy on Dec. 12.
“Sam Brinton is no longer a DOE employee. By law, the Department of Energy cannot comment further on personnel matters,” said a DoE spokesperson.
Holy baggage. Check out all the unclaimed luggage from @SouthwestAir flights at Harry Reid Intl.. we have the latest on the madness coming up at 5pm on @FOX5Vegas pic.twitter.com/bT2rhRkesl
— Mariah Janos (@mariahjanos) December 28, 2022
I’ve never seen anything like this at Pearson Airport in Toronto.
A mass of humanity and luggage upon arrival. pic.twitter.com/VfOOYxSoWA
— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) December 27, 2022
A small representation of unclaimed luggage at San Diego Airport. That's the bad news. The good news is my friend's flight looks to be 1 of 8 actually taking off on Southwest Airlines…San Diego to Austin. pic.twitter.com/D49ZxNFHsR
— Sheryl Adams (@sheryladams4406) December 28, 2022
Hey @CBC @CTVVancouver @GlobalBC if you’re having a slow news day, come check out the disaster that is @yvrairport and @AirCanada luggage. There are thousands of unclaimed bags and AC’s priority seems to be putting up a screen so no one can see this sea of bags pic.twitter.com/b1EVTE4HkH
— Bachelor of Arts in Applied Ballistics (@heinous_alex) December 27, 2022