Photo: TSA ONT TSA officers at Ontario International Airport in California experienced a real case of Friday the 13th bad luck when they discovered two live snakes hidden inside a pillowcase in a passenger’s checked luggage, including a rattlesnake.
The unusual finding prompted a brief suspension of baggage screening in the immediate area, as it happened during a routine checked baggage inspection when TSA Officer Benjamin Andrade-Carillo noticed what initially appeared to be a piece of rope inside the bag. On closer examination, he realized the object was alive.
“When I realized the item in my hand was alive, I told myself, ‘I need to escalate this immediately,’” Andrade-Carillo recalled.
He immediately alerted Supervisory TSA Officer Suggey Flores, who went to the baggage screening area to assess the situation.
Flores said she felt something tense up and move while examining the bag. Having handled snakes before, she was not particularly frightened but recognized that the situation required caution.
The officers then notified ONT TSA Manager Francisco “Frank” Calderon, airport police and the passenger's airline.
Calderon confirmed that two live snakes were inside the pillowcase, one of them a rattlesnake.
“TSA officers should not be handling live snakes for safety reasons,” Calderon said. He explained that the priority was protecting employees and everyone nearby while coordinating a safe resolution.
Screening was temporarily paused in the immediate area because officers did not initially know what species they were dealing with or whether the snakes were venomous. The precautionary measure did not affect overall screening operations at the airport.
Airport police took possession of the bag and moved it to the airline ticketing area. There, the passenger removed the snakes and handed them over to a family member who was not traveling and agreed to take custody of the animals.
Once the snakes were removed, TSA officers screened the luggage again and cleared it for travel. The airline subsequently allowed the passenger to continue his journey without the reptiles.
According to the Los Angeles TSA Coordination Center, the passenger said the snakes were his pets and that he had previously traveled with them on another airline.
The incident prompted TSA to remind passengers that animal transportation rules vary between airlines. Travelers planning to bring pets, particularly reptiles, should contact their carrier before arriving at the airport to confirm its requirements.
Andrade-Carillo said the discovery was unlike anything he had encountered during his two years with TSA. His previous unusual experience involved a passenger attempting to bring live lobsters as carry-on luggage in San Diego.
TSA officials praised the Ontario airport team for its response. Jason Pantages, the agency's federal security director for Los Angeles International Airport and surrounding airports, highlighted the officers' calm handling of an unexpected situation.
Calderon also praised the decision to pause screening and coordinate with airport police and the airline.
Fortunately, no injuries or snake bites were reported.
Tarantulas. Photo: ShutterstockAs a reminder, earlier this month, we reported that Peruvian authorities seized over 3,000 tarantulas hidden inside socks in three suitcases belonging to two Germans and a Pole preparing to fly to Germany