TSA Issues Advisory for Travel to Venezuela

[Zed Snardbody]

September 8, 2008

Contact: TSA Public Affairs
571-227-2829

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration (TSA) today announced that the agency has been unable to assess security measures at international airports in Venezuela that serve as the last point of departure for nonstop flights to the United States. Venezuela has refused multiple requests to allow for such assessments, which are required by U.S. law, and the agency is taking action to warn travelers of this security deficiency.

Air carriers issuing tickets for travel between the United States and Venezuela are directed to notify ticket purchasers in writing of the situation. TSA also directed that this advisory be displayed prominently at all U.S. airports and published in the Federal Register, pursuant to Title 49 U.S.C., Section 114. The order is effective immediately.

Under Title 49 of the U.S. Code, Section 44907, the Department of Homeland Security is required to assess security at foreign airports with direct service to the United States to determine compliance with standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

There is a critical need for TSA officials to visit Venezuela's airports to determine both the full compliance with ICAO standards and the ability to maintain the standards. The agency will continue to work with the authorities in Venezuela to schedule visits in a timely manner.

For more information about TSA, please visit our Web site at www.tsa.gov

Link

[Broomstick]

OK.... did you have some points of discussion to go with this article? Do you have a pro or anti viewpoint to this action?

We're trying to bring this forum back to more discussion and less post-and-run, so do feel free to comment upon your contribution. As a potential TSA employee I'm quite interested in discussing what the agency does or doesn't do, but it takes two to make a conversation.

[Kanastrous]

I guess my first question is, do TSA personnel actually visit every last airport in the world, from which a US-bound flight might originate? Kotoka International, in Ghana? Tembagapura, in Papua?

Or is this just a way to add to the boogah-boogah-watch-out-for-those-dastardly-Venezualans vibe?

[Axis Kast]

I guess my first question is, do TSA personnel actually visit every last airport in the world, from which a US-bound flight might originate? Kotoka International, in Ghana? Tembagapura, in Papua?

I believe so, yes. That is formally one of the responsibilities of the FAA. The Wikipedia article isn't clear, but it would seem that the TSA does employ inspectors for exactly this purpose.

Or is this just a way to add to the boogah-boogah-watch-out-for-those-dastardly-Venezualans vibe?

Actually, it appears that the opposite is true. Venezuela refused to cooperate with us.

[Adrian Laguna]

I can tell from personal experience, that in at least Maiquetia International Airport they managed to make getting on-board any flight more annoying than on any airport I've had the pleasure of experiencing in the US.

Let us go through this step by step.

1) Once you have arrived in the airport there is a National Guard checkpoint you must pass before you check your baggage and retrieve your boarding pass. They may ignore you, ask for your passport, or ask for your passport and your destination.

[ED: The Venezuelan National Guard is the branch of the military entrusted with the security of the nation's borders, airports, seaports, roads, government facilities, and voting sites. They also supplement the police in case of violent civil unrest.]

2a) Some airlines require that you do a pre-check-in before you do the actual check-in. Those same airlines don't seem to require that outside of Venezuela. It's the same as the check-in, but you don't hand over your luggage or get a boarding pass.

2b) Do the check-in, it's basically the same as in every other airport in the world.

3) Fill out Venezuelan immigrations form. It's exactly the same as what you fill when you go into the country, but you check the "Departure" box instead of the "Arrival" box.

4) Pay exit tax. You were supposed to be able to do this while paying for the airfare, but somebody fucked something up with the computer system and now you have to go to the AeroTazas 2004 booth and pay it separately.

5) Confirm that you paid the exit tax, by handing the receipt to the person by the bar code scanner just before the security checkpoints.

6) Pass National Guard drug checkpoint. You have to put your carry-on on the X-ray machine and walk through a metal detector, but you can leave your jacket on. I don't know how this is supposed to make any sense.

7) Pass airport security checkpoint. Same drill as before, except this time you do have to take off your jacket and pass it through the x-ray machine. No liquids are allowed unless they are in small containers inside in a quart bag. Depending on the day of the week, you may be told that you are not allowed to bring matches or lighters through. Usually it's a safe bet that if you brought it, it's not allowed. No word on what happens when you bring both. Mercifully, you can keep your shoes on.

Immigrations, same deal as when you enter the country, but leaving it. This is where you hand in the immigrations form you filled earlier. You also have to show your passport and boarding pass. If there is a minor in your party you get some extra fun: both parents need to be present. If one or both parents are not present, an original signed and notarized departure consent letter from the absent parent needs to be provided. In the event of one parent being dead or not having custody, a letter from a judge to the effect can be provided in lieu of the departure consent form. They immigrations guy will keep the letter, so you need a new one for every trip.

9) Finally, you've made it to the terminal! Now it's just a matter of handing in your boarding pass and getting on-board, right? Wrong, most airlines will ask to see your papers again, just in case they spontaneously combusted on the way from security to the gate, or something.

10) If today is your lucky day, then after you turn in your boarding pass you'll find that all passengers are being divided according to gender. You know what this means? Half-way between the gate and the airplane, you will get to meet a National Guardsman of your same gender, who will pat you down to search for contraband and may or may not ask to see your passport and boarding pass stub.

11) Board flight.

[Guardsman Bass]

Jesus. Is that like some hidden effort to intimidate people into not leaving Venezuela?

[chitoryu12]

Jesus. Is that like some hidden effort to intimidate people into not leaving Venezuela?

I would guess it's more for crime reasons. The excessive security would easily catch any dumbfuck drug dealers or child kidnappers trying to smuggle something/someone aboard.

[Guardsman Bass]

Jesus. Is that like some hidden effort to intimidate people into not leaving Venezuela?

I would guess it's more for crime reasons. The excessive security would easily catch any dumbfuck drug dealers or child kidnappers trying to smuggle something/someone aboard.

I forgot about that, but it still seems kind of stringent; couldn't they just import some sniffing dogs instead, if it's a big problem? Plus, there's all manner of immigration idiocy that he mentioned.

[Zed Snardbody]

OK.... did you have some points of discussion to go with this article? Do you have a pro or anti viewpoint to this action?

We're trying to bring this forum back to more discussion and less post-and-run, so do feel free to comment upon your contribution. As a potential TSA employee I'm quite interested in discussing what the agency does or doesn't do, but it takes two to make a conversation.

Sorry about that /i just happened to see it before I went to bed and wanted to post it. Travel advisories of this sort used to be the purview of the Department of Transportation. Since TSA took over security operations a lot of stuff like this now falls to us.

But these sort of inspections have been common for quite some time.

If Venezuela fails to comply its possible that the US may no longer allow flights to and from Venezuela to the US.

[Zed Snardbody]

I can post the ICAO standards if anyone is interested but they're a bit wordy.