A routine bag check at Tampa International Airport took a strange turn last week when US Customs and Border Protection agents discovered a human skull in a passenger's luggage. The incident unfolded after a traveler declared just 10 cigars, but further inspection revealed more than just tobacco: Agriculture specialists found prohibited plants, undeclared cigars, and a foil-wrapped duffel bag containing human remains, including a skull, USA Today reports.
"We never know what baggage may hold, but smugglers should know we'll always have a bone to pick," quipped Carlos C. Martel, CBP's director of field operations for Miami and Tampa, in a post on X, sharing images of the macabre find. He said the passenger claimed the remains were intended for rituals, but due to serious health risks, the items were seized and destroyed. Officials did not disclose the nationality of the passenger or whether charges will be filed, CBS News reports.
According to CBP guidelines, travelers bringing human remains into the US for burial must provide a death certificate—and if it's in a foreign language, an English translation as well. Officers will then verify the cause of death and confirm the remains comply with CDC requirements. If they don't, the remains can be quarantined or held for further instructions. Some items, including clean, dry bones, hair, teeth, nails, or cremated remains, are exempt from additional paperwork.
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