A US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detection dog has helped uncover remains of a 7-kilogram Bengal monitor lizard carcass, meat and plant products in luggage arriving from Thailand at Los Angeles.
Maisy, a beagle assigned to the CBP Office of Field Operations in Los Angeles, detected the suitcase. US Fish and Wildlife Service officials seized the 16-pound, or around 7kg, Bengal monitor found inside.
Food, plants and lizard found in suitcase
CBP said the luggage contained 50 pounds, or about 22kg, of meat products, including raw meat. Officers also found 33 pounds, or around 15kg, of mangoes, garlic, bamboo and banana plants.
The agency described the items as prohibited and posted pictures on Facebook showing Maisy sitting behind the seizure. In one image, the dog appears to be smiling.
CBP jokingly wrote: "If you found all this in a suitcase, wouldn't you be this happy too?"
The post attracted widespread online comment, with some users saying the case looked more like a food box than ordinary luggage. Others joked that a beagle's main talent was finding food, while several questioned why someone would try to take a monitor lizard into the United States.
What travellers from Thailand should note
For foreigners, expats and Thai residents flying from Thailand to the US, the case is a reminder that checked bags are subject to agricultural and wildlife controls as well as normal customs inspections.
Food, fresh fruit and vegetables, plants, raw meat and animal products may be restricted or prohibited. Travellers should declare such items on arrival rather than assume that products bought or packed in Thailand can enter the US.
US authorities use detector dogs because food and plant material can introduce pests and diseases that threaten ecosystems and agriculture. The rules also extend beyond items intended for sale: personal food supplies and gifts can still be examined.
The discovery is not the first involving a Los Angeles CBP beagle and baggage from Thailand. Another dog, Merla, previously drew attention after helping officers find undeclared food and agricultural goods, including more than 100 pork and chicken sandwiches in a traveller's luggage.
Detection dogs used at US entry points
CBP regularly deploys K9 teams to identify food, plant and animal products at US entry points. In this case, Maisy's work led officers to the items in the suitcase, while Fish and Wildlife Service officials handled the seizure of the Bengal monitor.
The agencies did not identify the traveller or say what further action, followed the seizure.
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22 July 2026
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