What started as a routine check at Tampa International Airport took a ghastly turn last week after customs agents found what appeared to be human remains in someone’s luggage.
The traveler initially declared 10 cigars but U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents at the airport discovered much more, according to Carlos Martel, director of field operations in the area. Martel wrote in a post on X that agents found a skull and other remains wrapped in foil inside of a duffel bag.
“The traveler claimed the items were for rituals, but due to serious health risks, the items were seized and destroyed,” Martel wrote.
Images shared by Martel online indeed showed a skull and other small bones inside aluminum foil.
“At @CBP, we never know what baggage may hold, but smugglers should know we’ll always have a bone to pick,” Martel wrote.
He also said that agents found prohibited plants and other undeclared cigars. Representatives for Customs and Border Patrol did not immediately respond to a request for more information on the incident.