TSA Agent at Ontario Airport Finds Two Live Snakes in Pillcase
A checked bag contained two snakes, one a rattlesnake, which the passenger claimed were pets.
By Harper Foster ·
TSA officer Benjamin Andrade-Carillo was inspecting a checked bag at Ontario Airport on November 13, 2026, when he noticed a pillowcase inside. He began to examine the fabric and realized he was touching something alive. He immediately alerted his supervisors, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
Airport police and the airline were notified after agents observed the bag moving. Authorities later determined that one of the animals was a rattlesnake. The TSA temporarily paused its screening process while airport police escorted the bag to the passenger. The traveler removed the snakes and handed them to a family member who was not traveling.
The passenger told authorities the animals were their pets. The traveler stated they had previously flown with the snakes on another airline. The passenger was allowed to continue their journey without the reptiles.
Andrade-Carillo said he had not found anything like the snakes during his two years of service. He noted that in San Diego, he once encountered a passenger trying to carry live lobsters as carry-on luggage.
The TSA stated that the incident did not disrupt general screening operations. No one was injured during the discovery.
