Chicago’s Chicago O’Hare International Airport added another entry to its growing list of nightmares this week after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers cracked open a suitcase that never should have made it onto U.S. soil—revealing dried monkey meat and what authorities described as mummified primates.
The passenger, arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was stopped during a routine inspection after agents noticed irregularities in their luggage. What followed was less “souvenir food” and more biohazard bingo: over 11 pounds of pest-infested beans, roughly 17 pounds of unidentified plant matter, and nearly four pounds of dried non-human primate meat. Customs officials also discovered what appeared to be small primates preserved like grotesque keepsakes.
CBP later released images of the seizure online, making it clear that ignorance isn’t a defense at the border. While the traveler reportedly believed the items were permitted, federal law disagreed—decisively. Every item was seized and destroyed. No criminal charges were filed, but the message was unmistakable.
Importing bushmeat—meat taken from wild animals such as monkeys, rodents, and antelope—is flatly illegal in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has repeatedly warned that bushmeat can carry dangerous pathogens and invasive pests capable of triggering serious public-health crises. In short: this isn’t exotic cuisine—it’s a potential outbreak in a carry-on.
Customs officials emphasized that any amount of monkey meat or bushmeat discovered at U.S. ports of entry will be immediately confiscated and destroyed. Violators can face fines of up to $250,000 for breaking federal import laws.
The disturbing discovery piles onto an already brutal year for O’Hare, an airport battered by extreme weather delays, safety incidents, and logistical breakdowns. Once a symbol of global connectivity, Chicago’s busiest airport is increasingly making headlines for all the wrong reasons—chaos, controversy, and now, contraband primates.
