Beagle Brigade Bags Snake Meat In Baggage At Washington Dulles Airport

DULLES, VA — A 4-year-old beagle working as a detector dog at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia discovered two pounds of snake meat inside a traveler’s baggage recently.

On Sept. 11, Freddie alerted U.S. Customs and Border Protection agricultural specialists to a bag that had just arrived on a flight from Equatorial Guinea, according to the CBP. Searching the bag, the agricultural specialists found more than two pounds of snake meat.

Although the meat is a routine protein source in Equatorial Guinea, it is one of the animal products that is illegal to import into the U.S., according to a CBP report.

On Sept. 12, CBP seized the meat and turned it over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“This seizure exemplifies the extraordinary competence of our Beagle Brigade in protecting our national vital agricultural resources by detecting prohibited plant and animal products packed in traveler baggage,” said Marc Calixte, CBP’s area port director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C. “Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists remain committed to working with our partners at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure that animal and plant products that travelers bring to the United States fully comply with our nation’s laws and relevant international conventions.”