A bizarre incident at Miami International Airport on April 26 saw a man stopped by security for hiding a bag of snakes down his trousers. The passenger, who was attempting to board an international flight, triggered alarms which led to a pat-down by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers.
Officers at @iflymia detected this bag of snakes hidden in a passenger’s pants at a checkpoint on Fri, April 26. @TSA called our @CBPSoutheast and Miami-Dade Police partners in to assist, and the snakes were turned over to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. pic.twitter.com/CggJob8IT8
— TSA_Gulf (@TSA_Gulf) April 30, 2024
“The anomaly was detected in the groin area by our Advanced Imaging Technology,” a TSA spokesperson explained to The Independent. “The passenger admitted to having snakes in his pants when approached for a pat-down.”
Authorities including the police and Customs and Border Patrol were notified, and the two small, pink snakes were confiscated and handed over to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Pictures of the snakes and their camouflage bag were shared on social media by TSA, sparking numerous jokes and references to the movie Snakes on a Plane.
“This isn’t commonplace, but it’s not the first time,” the TSA spokesperson added. “Incidents like these, while rare, do occasionally occur.”
The man was barred from his flight, although he cooperated with the authorities upon being caught. This incident follows a similar case in January 2023 when TSA agents in Tampa found a four-foot boa constrictor in a passenger’s bag, which the owner claimed was an “emotional support animal.”
