Passenger Attempts To Go through TSA in Miami With ‘Snakes in Their Pants'

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It always baffles me when people try to sneak blatant, obvious contraband through a TSA checkpoint. I know the TSA isn't infallible, but between the X-ray machines, metal detectors, and agents ready to give you a pat-down at a moment's notice, you'd better hope that everyone at that checkpoint is having an "off" day if you wanna roll the dice on smuggling something through.

It's that kind of wild hubris that makes stories like this one all the more ridiculous. TSA officers at Miami-Dade International Airport bagged a weird one when they stopped someone who tried to sneak through their checkpoint with "snakes in their pants." No, that isn't an innuendo... it's the real thing.

Do you think the bag of snakes counts as a personal item, or as carry-on luggage? Either way, it didn't matter, because according to @TSA_Gulf , the would-be smuggler was stopped at the security checkpoint , and police were called in. The pair of baby snakes were released from their camo-patterned prison and promptly handed over to Florida FWC officers.

Related: Miami TSA Agents Caught on Camera Stealing From Passengers

Florida's Illegal Reptile Trade

While a passenger getting caught with snakes down their pants is a pretty amusing scenario, it's indicative of a much larger animal ethics crisis, particularly in the Sunshine State . There is a legal reptile trade in Florida with professional breeders who go by the book, but there's also a significant illegal reptile industry that involves the illicit breeding and trafficking of rare, protected, and sometimes dangerous reptiles. Just last summer, the Humane Society reported on " Operation Viper ," a massive undercover bust of a black-market snake trafficking ring. Police arrested eight individuals and confiscated nearly 200 snakes representing 24 species, including some extremely venomous species like the spitting cobra and green mamba.

Aside from the inherent danger of the trade and the inhumane conditions many of these animals are subjected to, it also presents potential environmental hazards, especially in Florida. The Burmese python infestation in the Florida Everglades came as a result of irresponsible exotic pet owners releasing their non-native snakes into the swamps.

Based on my reptile-loving partner's assessment, the baby snakes snagged at Miami TSA were most likely palmetto corn snakes, a rare morph of the non-venomous corn snake species native to Florida and the East Coast . Trouble is, they weren't going to remain in Florida. According to WRTV News , TSA confirmed that the passenger was "departing for a destination outside of the US. " I can't get into the exact legal nitty-gritty without knowing their intended final destination, but suffice to say, bringing reptiles to another country, especially with intent to sell, involves a long and complex process. Obviously, legit breeders don't stuff their stock down their pants!

Hopefully, Florida's FWC will be able to either release or rehome these two snakes in a habitat where they can thrive. Any animal discovered stuffed down some dude's dungarees probably wasn't headed to a good home!

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