'TSA put me in custody and I almost missed flight as I tried to take snack onto aircraft'
Actress was detained and the bomb squad called in as Transportation Security Administration searched her luggage
A celebrity has explained how Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials searched her bags - and seized a popular snack before she boarded a fight. Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo fell foul of massively increased security policies from the TSA as she tried to board a flight in Los Angeles.
And official even called in tbe bomb squad over the package - which turned out to be organic sunflower seeds. The TSA has been cracking down as the Trump administration has tightened up security.
One recent change has been the banning of items such as portable batteries and power banks/packs containing lithium ion. The TSA has been accused of targeting a lot of smaller items in people’s luggage as part of a wider tightening up of security measures under the Trump administration. Officials have been reportedly checking the phones of some people entering the U.S. for social media posts criticizing the administration.
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And today President Trump announced that citizens of 12 countries would be banned from visiting the United States and those from seven others would face restrictions.
In the incident Ellen Pompeo said her “super expensive” and “fancy” snack triggered airport security to call in the bomb squad. The 55 year old said: “I had a bag of sunflower seeds, like organic sunflower seeds from Erewhon, so they were probably the most expensive sunflower seeds money can buy.
“They literally held me for an hour, and they brought the bomb squad in,” she remembered. “And I was like, ‘What is happening? Is this a joke?’ They said it was most likely a chemical on the packaging of these super expensive, fancy, organic, clean sunflower seeds. My protein on the plane!”
She said that she had offered to put in the bin her snack that she had purchased from Erewhon, the Los Angeles-based high-end grocery store chain, but was told she still needed to remain in custody until the bomb squad assessed the unopened package. “I almost missed the flight,” she said. “It was really like no one would ever believe this! I was texting my publicist saying, ‘I might not get on this plane, and you’re never gonna guess why.’”
Despite the fiasco, Pompeo told the outlet that she still loves to travel, and typically packs her on-flight necessities of “mints, glasses, water, hand sanitizer, and baby wipes.”
“I have to do the Naomi Campbell thing and wipe down the entire seat,” she revealed.
Even travelers who regularly catch flights around and into the U.S. can be hit with delays when they forget items such as razors, and scissors. If security officials find prohibited items they could face lengthy questioning, have items confiscated and possibly missing their flight.
Only recently items such as portable batteries and power banks/packs containing lithium ion were banned, meaning many people could be caught out because last time they travelled they went through TSA checks with no trouble.
In relation to the new travel ban, it takes effect Monday at 12.01am, a cushion that may avoid the chaos that unfolded at airports nationwide when a similar measure took effect with virtually no notice in 2017.
Mr Trump, who signalled plans for a new ban upon taking office in January, appears to be on firmer ground this time after the Supreme Court sided with him.
Some, but not all, of 12 countries also appeared on the list of banned countries in Mr Trump’s first term. The new ban includes Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
There will be heightened restrictions on visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
In a video released on social media, Mr Trump tied the new ban to Sunday’s terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, saying it underscored the dangers posed by some visitors who overstay visas.
The suspect in the attack is from Egypt, a country that is not on Mr Trump’s restricted list. The Department of Homeland Security says he overstayed a tourist visa.
Mr Trump said some countries had “deficient” screening and vetting or have historically refused to take back their own citizens.
