2 live birds in passenger's bag seized at Dulles Airport

STERLING, Va. — Two live birds were recently seized at Dulles Airport after a woman attempted to smuggle them in along with prohibited chicken seasoning and wooden sticks

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists seized the two birds on July 16 from the woman who arrived aboard a flight from Dubai, U.A.E.

Representatives with the airline initially let CBP know that a passenger was transporting the birds on the flight inside an open cardboard box inside a plastic bag. They also reported the woman failed to let the airline gate attendants know that she was carrying the birds onto the flight. 

CBP agriculture specialists met the flight as it arrived, secured the birds in a filtered crate, and transported the birds to CBP’s agriculture quarantine inspections lab. 

The woman, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Iraq, was sent for a second examination so her bag could be further inspected.

During this time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Veterinary Services arrived and inspected the live birds. 

Both birds were identified by specialists as juvenile White-eared Bulbuls.

Authorities claim the woman did not possess veterinary certifications to export the birds from Iraq or to import the birds to the United States. 

According to USDA veterinarians, the White-eared Bulbuls are not a protected or endangered species. 

During the secondary baggage examination, CBP agriculture specialists discovered prohibited chicken seasoning and wooden sticks in the woman's bag and seized them as potential threats to U.S. agriculture.

The USDA retained custody of the birds. 

CBP released the woman to continue her travel.

Authorities claim birds present the potential for introducing diseases, such as the virulent Newcastle disease and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). Both diseases affect poultry, are serious diseases of concern, and are highly contagious.

“Customs and Border Protection’s agriculture protection mission is vital to our nation’s economic vitality, and CBP agriculture specialists work tirelessly to protect our livestock industries, and particularly our poultry industry, against the introduction of pathogenic diseases,” said Christine Waugh, Acting Area Port Director for CBP’s Area Port of Washington, D.C. “CBP remains steadfastly committed to ensuring our agriculture industries remain vibrant by intercepting animal and plant diseases, federal noxious weeds, and hitchhiking invasive insects when we encounter them at our nation’s international ports of entry.”

WATCH NEXT: