CHICAGO – A 20-year-old Iowa man was detained at Midway Airport Monday afternoon after being found with knives and box cutters.
Federal officials now have custody of the Marshalltown resident, who security screeners found with four pocket knives, a box cutter, two flares and a bottle of lighter fluid in his carry-on bag, police said.
Local charges had not been filed as of Tuesday against the man, said Officer Ozzie Rodriguez, a Chicago police department spokesman.
"The FBI is interviewing him," Rodriguez said. "If he's not charged with anything federal, we'll take over, but for the time being, it's in the FBI's hands."
FBI officials would not comment early Tuesday on the incident.
The man, whose identity had not been released, was heading toward a flight at the airport about 4 p.m. Monday when security screeners manning an X-ray machine spotted what appeared to be "contraband" in the man's bag, Sgt. Robert Cargie said.
The screeners searched the man's bag and found the items. Police were called and the man was taken into custody without incident, Cargie said.
Police said they did not know why the man had those items in his possession.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.