PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — A U.S. Marine was detained at a California airport after Transportation Security Administration personnel found a live 25 mm explosive round in his checked baggage, police said.
The round was found during the screening process of checked luggage at Palm Springs International Airport on Monday, the Palm Springs Police Department said in a news release.
The Marine told investigators he found the round “in the field” about a year ago and kept it, thinking it wasn't live.
“Due to extensive rust and corrosion, the round’s original identifying paint markings were no longer visible, making it difficult to determine whether it was an inert training munition or a live explosive device,” police said in the news release.
The Riverside County Sheriff's Department Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team used X-ray technology to confirm that it was a live round. The team took it to a desert area near Interstate 10, where it was destroyed, the news release said. No one was hurt.
Police said they submitted the case to the Riverside County District Attorney's Office for a review of potential violations and criminal charges. An email seeking comment was sent to the district attorney's office Tuesday.
The Marine, who was released to military authorities, could face administrative action by the Marine Corps and a potential civil penalty through the TSA, police said. Emails seeking comment were sent to both organizations.
FILE -The badge and TSA logo patch are seen on the uniform of a Transportation Security Administration employee at one of the security checkpoints inside Lambert- St. Louis International Airport Oct. 7, 2010, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
Congo’s famous living statue “Lumumba Vea” will miss the World Cup playoff against Jamaica because he was unable to get a visa in time.
Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, who gained fame during the Africa Cup of Nations for posing as a statue of Congo’s assassinated independence hero Patrice Lumumba for the entirety of games, traveled to Kenya and then Ethiopia in a bid to get a visa to attend Tuesday’s playoff in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Despite his efforts, he ran out of time.
“Unfortunately, even in an emergency situation, obtaining an express visa requires at least one day of processing, and even then, only under specific conditions,” Nkuka Mboladinga wrote on X.
“Given the importance of the mission – accompanying the Leopards – and the length of the journey to Mexico (18 to 22 hours with one stopover, and up to 30 hours with two), it seemed impossible to arrive on time and properly fulfill this mission,” he wrote. “I therefore decided to return to Kinshasa to support our ambassadors in a different way.”
Journalist Grévy Tambwe, who translated for Nkuka Mboladinga during an interview for The Associated Press in January, confirmed that the social media post came from Nkuka Mboladinga.
“We’re a bit heartbroken by this episode but it’s OK, we remain in touch with the national team and we’ll watch the match together with the other supporters and Michel will perform even if it’s at a distance,” Tambwe told The AP.
Nkuka Mboladinga became a social media star at the Africa Cup for posing as a statue of Lumumba on a pedestal with his right hand raised and staying entirely still for the team’s games.
Lumumba is widely hailed as the nationalist activist who helped to end Belgium’s colonial rule over Congo in 1960. He became the new independent country’s first prime minister and was seen as one of Africa’s most promising new leaders, but he was killed within a year during a struggle against a Belgian-backed secessionist movement in the mineral-rich Katanga region.
A Belgian court in March ordered a 93-year-old former diplomat to stand trial for the assassination. Etienne Davignon, who previously denied any wrongdoing, is the last living among 10 Belgians suspected of involvement in the killing and has been charged with “participation in war crimes” for his role in the “unlawful detention and transfer” of Lumumba.
Congo reached the last 16 of the Africa Cup. After being eliminated by Algeria, the Leopards' attention quickly switched to World Cup qualifying. If Congo does beat Jamaica in their playoff, it will be the second-to-last team to qualify for the 48-country competition before Iraq plays Bolivia in the last playoff in Monterrey, Mexico.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, a DR Congo fan impersonating late Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba, strikes a pose during the Africa Cup of Nations group D soccer match between Botswana and DR Congo in Rabat, Morocco, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, File)
FILE - Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, a DR Congo fan impersonating late Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba, strikes a pose during the Africa Cup of Nations group D soccer match between Botswana and DR Congo in Rabat, Morocco, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, File)
