Man cited after TSA agents find 23 weapons packed inside carry-on bag

A man was cited by police after Transportation Security Administration officers located a stash of 23 weapons in his carry-on bag at a checkpoint at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Locking-blade knives, a dagger, disposable scalpels, martial arts throwing knives and a pair of brass knuckles were discovered as the bag was placed in the checkpoint's X-ray machine on Wednesday.

TSA agents pulled the bag to search it and the weapons were subsequently removed. Authorities were alerted and the man was then issued a citation.

"When passengers have prohibited items among their carry-on items, it slows down the screening process," the airport's TSA Federal Security Director John Busch said in a press release. "Travelers play a role in the efficiency of checkpoint screening by knowing what should and should not be packed in a carry-on bag."

If the weapons had been packed in checked luggage, the administration said it would not have needed to issue a citation.

"Even in the sometimes chaotic environment of the screening checkpoints, the TSA officers at our airport do an amazing job every day by keeping dangerous items out of the aircraft cabin," Busch added. "It's important to acknowledge them and the significance of their mission."

For more information on what items are not allowed to pack in carry-on bags, download the myTSA app.