TSA Workers Busted in Massive Coke Smuggling Ring

Authorities say a dozen TSA workers, including six screening officers, have been arrested and charged with helping smuggle some 20 TONS of cocaine bound for the U.S. through the country's main airport in Puerto Rico.

The Hill reports the twelve workers allegedly allowed designated suitcases to pass through security, acted as lookouts, and even aided 'mules' or drug toting people, to pass through security and onto airplanes bound for the U.S. The 20 tons were transported over a period of years from 1998 until last year.

The drugs left Puerto Rico from the Luiz Munoz Marin International Airport, and headed to the U.S. Officials praised the arrests, and cited the success of what's called the AirTat program, designed to look for corruption and security issues at airports, including the TSA.  However, critics say it's pretty sad it took officials over 16 years to discover the massive ring.

The TSA has been under fire again recently, including the discovery of a gun smuggling operation at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta in 2015. The Hill says there have been other high-level security lapses in the last few years.