A traveler returning to the United States after a trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo brought back unique and, most importantly, illegal items through Logan Airport in Boston last week. A canine officer from U.S. Customs And Border Protection sniffed out something suspicious inside the passenger’s luggage. A search discovered mummified monkeys. The passenger claimed that it was dried fish, and not the dehydrated remains of four monkey, but come on…we all know what monkey mummies look like.
It probably was a quaint change of pace for airport security compared to the loaded firearms typically found in screenings. According to a CBP statement, security agents classified the dead monkeys as eight pounds of bushmeat, with the Centers for Disease Control slating the contraband for destruction. While weapons pose a clear and present danger, the monkey remains’ biological threat isn’t so obvious. Julio Caravia, the area port director at CBP Boston, explained:
The potential dangers posed by bringing bushmeat into the United States are real. Bushmeat can carry germs that can cause illness, including the Ebola virus. The work of CBP’s K9 unit and Agricultural Specialist were vital in preventing this potential danger from entering the U.S.
It’s surprising what kinds of raw and unprocessed meats are intercepted at airports. Last year, agents at O’Hare Airport in Chicago seized 15 pounds of goat viscera that included the trachea, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and entire digestive system. Over three pounds of charred bat was found in baggage at Washington Dulles International Airport in 2022.
My thoughts go out to the brave officials who have to deal with a surreal stench after burning all of that stuff. They are putting their noses on the line to save the country from bushmeat-transported biological disaster.