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A former TSA agent at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport joined Liz Collin on her podcast.
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A former Transportation Security Administration ( TSA) agent, Liz Jaksa, joined Liz Collin on her podcast. She who worked at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport from 2016 to 2021.
She explained to Collin, “I’ve seen a lot of things, but the most shocking is exactly that. I saw suitcases filled with millions of dollars of cash, and the couriers were always Somali men traveling in pairs.”
While flying with cash isn’t illegal and must be declared, it still seemed suspicious because she estimates that she saw it happen on a weekly basis. The cash was always documented and law enforcement was contacted, she recalled.
“I don’t know exactly for sure, but it seemed that way. They got through the checkpoint and it just absolutely blew my mind: The first time you open a suitcase and you see millions of dollars of cash. And typically, what would happen is, the law enforcement officer would come and check their credentials,” she said.
“I don’t know what kind of questions they asked them, but their IDs were always documented and probably their plane tickets as well. So there is a trail of that out there. And I would believe with all the cameras at the airport that if they started there, they could probably find each and every individual that brought money through the checkpoint,” Jaksa continued.
“The MO was always two Somalian men traveling in pairs. Sometimes they both had suitcases. So the process was as a TSA agent, we would pull the bag and then we’d bring them to a private screening room and we would open the suitcase and make sure that that’s all it was, was stacks of cash,” she added.
With regard to potential fraud, the former TSA agent said, “I would imagine if they’d like to find all this cash, they should start at the airport. Because in the five years I was there, I believe a billion dollars went through the airport.”
As if that wasn’t concerning enough, she described another incident where, she says, a Somali man had a carry-on bag filled with brand new passports.
“He was allowed to get through the checkpoint. So where he went with those passports is anybody’s guess,” she said.
Years ago, when suspected daycare fraud made news, she also said that she continuously raised the issue with her colleagues.
Flashback: In 2018, now former Republican Congressman Jason Lewis called for stricter enforcement and oversight in describing Somali daycare fraud as a “major issue.”
At the time, it was alleged to be a $100 million fraud scheme involving dozens of fake sites. pic.twitter.com/DyoYfIwfLv
“I’ve been out of TSA for quite a few years. So since all this fraud came out, the connection’s been made. I didn’t feel good about it then, and now it certainly all makes sense,” she said.
After recent reports alleged that money from Somali fraud schemes ended up in the hands of al-Shabaab, it only confirmed her suspicions, she said.
“Knowing what I know now, absolutely. There’s no question in my mind that that money went to al-Shabaab. It’s been uncomfortable because at the time, it just seemed like more should be done. It wasn’t a one-time thing. It was a constant thing,” she reflected.
Alpha News reached out to the Department of Homeland Security which oversees TSA agents. We also asked the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota for comment on this story. As of press time, we have not received any statements.
“It is so frustrating. It was frustrating when I was a TSA agent and it’s certainly frustrating now watching the state’s administration doing what they’re doing,” she said. “Walz and Omar, honestly, they should both resign in shame.”
