Dead Snakes, Dried Seahorses Seized By Customs Officials At VA Airport

DULLES, VA — Agriculture specialists with U.S. Customs and Border Protection at Washington Dulles International Airport recently seized pork, dried seahorses, snail ointment, and dead snakes from the baggage of two travelers arriving from Vietnam.

On Aug. 1, the first traveler, who was on their way to Fairfax, was referred for a secondary baggage examination, according to the CBP. Agriculture specialists from the CBP and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service inspected the baggage and found prohibited pork, as well as 77 dried seahorses, five jars of snail ointment, and five dead snakes.

Travelers must obtain the required permits and documentation in order to import seahorses, snakes, and snail ointment into the U.S. In this case, the traveler had violated several laws and regulations, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and the Lacey Act.

U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits travelers from bringing uncertified pork products to the U.S. from Vietnam, in order to diminish the risk of spreading African swine fever and swine vesicular disease into the country's livestock. The CBP seized all of the prohibited products and turned them over to the USFWS.

“Though we may consider some animal-based products to be unusual, people in other parts of the world may consider them to be normal. However, travelers visiting the United States should understand that Customs and Border Protection is committed to protecting our nation’s agricultural industries and enforcing our wildlife and import laws which may result in the seizure of their animal-based products,” said Christine Waugh, CBP’s acting area port director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C., in a release. “CBP agriculture specialists continue to work side-by-side with our U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partners to educate travelers by holding them accountable when they arrive with illegal or prohibited products.”