The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency was on the lookout for the Sasquatch last week when a passenger from South Africa was discovered with 83 pounds of beef jerky at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
The passenger was referred to the Agriculture Secondary Inspection upon his arrival in Minnesota after he told a CBP officer that he wanted to declare the “beef biltong” in his luggage, according to a press release.
The man’s five pieces of luggage were taken and inspected by CBP specialists, where they found the “organic anomalies,” the release said.
“The inspection revealed 83 pounds of curried and dried beef. The passenger requested that the meat not be seized because it cost over $2,000,” the release said.
However, CBP agents told the man that the meat was restricted from entering the U.S. due to the risk of it carrying “animal diseases, including Foot and Mouth Disease.”
The meat was seized by the agents and then destroyed via steam sterilization.
Seeing the amount of meat pass through customs was not unusual, as Chief CBP Agriculture Specialist, Lauren Lewis, shared in the release that “during certain holidays and seasons, there is a significant increase in beef and pork, and we work closely with the traveling public to inform them of certain products that cannot enter the country due to animal diseases.”
Those who are looking to import plant materials, animal materials, or other agricultural items into the U.S. are advised to consult the CBP Information Center.
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