Customs officers were shocked to find horse meat and genitals inside the luggage of two women who flew into the country from Mongolia.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists have seen some really unusual things in traveler baggage at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia, over the years, including charred full monkeys, to voodoo ceremony tools, to cocaine concealed inside the cavity of fully cooked chickens, to live sea horses and giant African land snails.
On Sunday, two women arrived from Mongolia, with horsemeat concealed inside juice boxes, including 13 pounds of horse genitals that one woman claimed were for medicinal purposes.
Officers seized a total of 43 pounds of horsemeat, including the 13 pounds of horse genitals. After the women came off from the plane, officers referred them for a routine agriculture examination.
There, CBP agriculture specialists discovered a combined 43 pounds of meat described as horsemeat and other ruminant meat, including 13 pounds of horse genitals, and three liters of yak milk.
Horsemeat is prohibited from entering the United States, if it is not accompanied by an official government horsemeat certification from the country or government it originates.
Otherwise, CBP treats it as unknown ruminant meat and seizes it due to fears of foot and mouth disease. Horsemeat from Mongolia, is prohibited due to concerns of introducing animal diseases to U.S. livestock industries.
“Customs and Border Protection takes no pleasure in seizing and destroying travelers’ food products,” said Wayne Biondi, CBP Port Director for the Area Port of Washington Dulles.
“We’re in the business of protecting America’s agriculture industries, like the livestock industry, from the potential introduction of animal diseases posed by these unpermitted food products,” he added.
CBP incinerated all the food products. Neither woman was criminally charged. Officers released them to continue their visit.