CHANTILLY, Va. -- A package of tiny dead birds passed off as pet food was confiscated by Customs agents at a Virginia airport.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection says the package came into Dulles International Airport on a flight from Beijing on January 27.
Agents discovered the bag of dead birds in the baggage of a passenger who was on their way to Prince George's County, Maryland.
.@CBP agriculture specialists at Dulles airport continue to protect our nation's vital agricultural resources and our economy by intercepting potential animal threats, like those posed by these tiny dead birds from China packaged as "pet food." Read https://t.co/uJj5o5xfmN pic.twitter.com/xTldZ6G6jM
— CBP Mid-Atlantic (@CBPMidAtlantic) February 10, 2020
The passenger said the package was cat food. The plastic packaging had pictures of a cat and dog.
Birds are barred from importation to prevent the spread of avian flu.
