TSA uncovers stolen Civil War cannonballs at Alabama airport

A Transportation Security Administration officer at Gulf Shores International Airport in Alabama discovered five small Civil War-era cannonballs wrapped in paper towels inside a passenger’s checked suitcase during a routine X‑ray screening on July 18. The cannonballs, each about the size of a grapefruit and inert, are classified as prohibited artillery munitions, though they contain no explosives.

Police traced the artifacts to Fort Morgan after paint markings linked them to the historic site. A juvenile had stolen the cannonballs from a storage area at the fort and placed them in the grandmother’s luggage; the grandmother was unaware of their origin. The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office recovered the items and returned them to Fort Morgan, opting not to press charges.

TSA Officer Justin Dupree said he had never encountered “anything quite this unique,” likening the find to an “Indiana Jones‑esque” situation.