Agriculture specialists with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized “significant, prohibited commodities,” including a monkey carcass, more than 100 pounds of meat, and prohibited leaves and seeds at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, the agency exclusively told The Epoch Times on Tuesday.
CBP said these recent encounters, which occurred on April 11 and involved one traveler from Liberia and a separate traveler from Cameroon, highlighted the agency’s effort to not only prevent illegal immigrants from entering the country but also illegal contraband.
“CBP’s agriculture specialists mitigate the threat of non-native plants and pests, plant and animal diseases, and other potentially contaminants entering the United States,” Michael Pfeiffer, the acting director of field operations for the Chicago field office, said.
The first traveler, from Cameroon, was referred for a secondary agriculture inspection after “an anomaly” was discovered during an X-ray examination of the traveler’s luggage. Upon searching the bag, a CBP specialist discovered the monkey carcass.
Authorities seized the contraband due to “significant human health concerns” and destroyed it, CBP said.
Photos provided to The Epoch Times show the small, seemingly mummified monkey, roughly the size of a Thanksgiving turkey, tied up.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection discovered a monkey carcass inside the luggage of a traveler from Cameroon, at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on April 11, 2026. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
Subsequently, another traveler from Liberia attempted to evade customs and bring prohibited “ruminant meat” into the United States.
CBP agriculture specialists found eight boxes within the individual’s baggage containing meat, bones, and hair concealed in dried seafood, the agency said.
The Liberian national admitted to agents that the hidden meat was beef.
The agency did not name either traveler.
Although seafood is generally acceptable to bring into the United States from foreign countries, CBP said ruminant meat from certain parts of the world is prohibited due to the risk of disease, including bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, and foot-and-mouth disease.
In total, CBP agents seized 125 pounds of prohibited meat, one pound of prohibited fresh leaves, and four types of prohibited seeds for planting from the Liberian traveler, according to the agency.
The meat appeared to be haphazardly wrapped in plastic and newspaper, based on photos of the seizure provided to The Epoch Times.
Both travelers were fined and allowed to enter the country, according to a CBP spokesperson.
“The sheer volume of prohibited items our specialists intercept daily demonstrates how they play an essential and critical role in preventing plant and animal diseases from entering the United States,” Pfeiffer said.
CBP agriculture specialists’ work goes beyond monitoring travelers at airports.
These agents were involved in exposing a $200 million smuggling scheme of counterfeit goods in 2023 through Los Angeles ports. A team of agriculture specialists made the initial discovery while conducting a routine examination of a shipping container, leading to the indictment of nine people.
“This case attests to their unwavering vigilance, utmost professionalism and keen focus in protecting the integrity of lawful trade, a key component of our critical national security mission,” Cheryl Davies, CBP director of field operations in Los Angeles, said of the agriculture specialists.
One of those nine defendants was sentenced on March 27 to five years and three months in federal prison for his role in the scheme.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection discovered more than 100 pounds of meat in a Liberian traveler's luggage. The prohibited contraband was seized at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on April 11, 2026. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
