Customs officers at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport say they opened a passenger's luggage and found about four pounds of what they described as “nonhuman primate meat,” packed alongside roughly 17 pounds of unidentified plant material and about 11 pounds of beans showing signs of pests. The items were seized and destroyed, with officials warning that the goods posed a potential risk of introducing pests or disease into the United States.
The traveler, identified by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) only as being from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was not publicly named, and officials did not announce any criminal charges.
According to TMZ, CBP laid out the weights and described the contents as prohibited agricultural products. The outlet reported that CBP shared the details on social media and quoted the agency as saying, “A passenger from Congo believed the food they were bringing was fine; it was not.”
Federal health rules treat “bushmeat” and animal products from nonhuman primates as high-risk imports. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explicitly bans bushmeat from entering the country and warns that such products can carry diseases like Ebola and mpox. Prohibited items are subject to seizure, destruction, and civil penalties, including fines that can reach $250,000, according to the CDC.
CBP Finds Rare But Risky Imports
CBP's Chicago field office is no stranger to odd contraband. Officers there have intercepted a steady stream of unusual animal products and plant material that officials say could threaten U.S. agriculture.
Newsweek recently highlighted several of those seizures in the region, including disemboweled goats and shipments containing primate remains. CBP officials told the outlet that a single contaminated item can be enough to damage crops or livestock, which helps explain why officers are so quick to pull suspicious food out of travelers' bags.
What Travelers Should Know
Both CBP and the U.S. Department of Agriculture say travelers should declare every food item they are bringing into the country and check import rules before they pack. That includes meat, plants, and anything that might reasonably fall into the “souvenir snacks from home” category.
In a recent local bulletin about a similar interception, officers explained that seized bushmeat is either handed over to CDC experts for examination or destroyed outright, and they reminded travelers that detector dogs and agriculture specialists screen luggage around the clock, according to a CBP press release.
Legal Note
Federal import rules make it illegal to bring bushmeat or other unpermitted animal products into the United States. Violations of CDC regulations can trigger civil penalties and forfeiture, and the agency's guidance explains its authority to seize and destroy prohibited goods.
In the O'Hare case, there was no public indication from CBP that criminal charges were filed, and the agency did not release the traveler's name in its initial message.
With holiday travel still heavy at O'Hare, CBP says its agriculture specialists will keep combing through international baggage in search of risky food, plants, and animal products. Anyone heading home from abroad is advised to review government guidance and declare any food items at the border if they would like to avoid having their snacks confiscated or paying a hefty fine.
