JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel’s Shin Bet confirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security detail lost four handguns during a flight from New York to Washington.
The Glock 9 mm pistols were packed in a suitcase belonging to a security official for Netanyahu that was lost at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, WNBC-TV first reported Tuesday. The Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security agency, confirmed the missing weapons to the Israeli media on Wednesday.
The luggage was discovered Tuesday in Los Angeles, minus the handguns. New York Port Authority police at Kennedy Airport are investigating whether the guns were stolen in New York or after the suitcase arrived in Los Angeles, WNBC reported. Israeli security also is investigating.
Travelers are required to pack handguns and send them to their destination in checked luggage, according to U.S. Transportation Security Administration protocol.
The security officials were assigned to help guard Netanyahu’s entourage during his meeting at the White House, according to reports.
Representatives from American Airlines and the Transportation Security Administration were unavailable for comment.
