Photo posted by Carlos C. Martel, field operations director for the Customs and Border Patrol Miami/Tampa Field Office on X (formerly Twitter). Field Office Agriculture Specialists uncovered prohibited plants, undeclared cigars, and a foil-wrapped duffel bag containing what looked like human remains, including part of a skull.
Photo posted by Carlos C. Martel, field operations director for the Customs and Border Patrol Miami/Tampa Field Office on X (formerly Twitter). Field Office Agriculture Specialists uncovered prohibited plants, undeclared cigars, and a foil-wrapped duffel bag containing what looked like human remains, including part of a skull.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at Tampa International Airport were stunned when they discovered a human skull during a routine bag search.

"What started as a passenger declaring just 10 cigars at Tampa International Airport turned bizarre," wrote Carlos C Martel, U.S. Customs and Border Protection director of field operations for Miami and Tampa, on X Thursday, Sept. 18.

CBP agriculture specialists uncovered prohibited plants, undeclared cigars and a foil-wrapped duffel bag containing human remains, including the skull, Martel wrote.

Though the traveler claimed the items were for rituals, Martel said they were seized and destroyed "due to serious health risks."

He added: "We never know what baggage may hold, but smugglers should know we’ll always have a bone to pick."

Martel posted images of the discovery on the social media platform, showing a skull and other bone fragments.

USA TODAY emailed the CBP for additional information about the incident.

What to know about bringing human remains into the US

Passengers traveling to the U.S. with human remains designated for burial must be accompanied by a death certificate, the CBP website states. If the death certificate is in a language other than English, it should be accompanied by an English-language translation.

CBP officers will then examine the death certificate to determine the cause of death and ensure that the remains are shipped in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requirements. If CDC requirements are not met, CBP will hold the casket and contact the appropriate quarantine station for instructions.

Human remains are not subject to additional requirements if they consist of the following: clean, dry bones or bone fragments, human hair, teeth, fingernails or toenails and human remains that are cremated before entry into the U.S, in which case a death certificate is not needed.

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Routine bag search turned 'bizarre': Skull, human remains found at Florida airport

Reporting by Michelle Del Rey , USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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