Florida airport passenger announces he has 10 cigars, but forgets to add the human skull and bones wrapped in a foil

A passenger traveling through Tampa International Airport declared that they wer carrying 10 cigars, but as officials started searching through their belongings they discovered human bones — including a skull, which the passenger claimed was for performing some form of ritual.

It was supposed to be a routine check for Director of Field Operations Carlos C. Martel. After the passenger declared his cigars, Martel decided to dig deeper. He expected a couple of undeclared cigars that the passenger had failed to mention — which he found. Maybe even prohibited goods — which he also found in the form of plants. What he didn’t expect to find, however, were human bones wrapped up in foil.

Martel posted the ordeal on X, showing him unwrapping the remains while looking visibly bewildered. The Director of Field Operations went on to note that they had to destroy the bones because of the serious health risks they may have posed to other passengers. In the comments, people largely congratulated Martel on the catch, while some users wanted to know exactly where the passenger was from.

Gross stuff but nice catch.

— Analog Girl (@AnalogLinda) September 19, 2025

Human remains were
discovered inside of luggage at Tampa International Airport.

Let me take a wild guess. 🤔 Traveler from Cuba?

“prohibited plants, undeclared cigars, and a foil-wrapped duffel bag containing what looked like human remains, including part of a skull.”

— Gunner (@Bobby09157890) September 19, 2025

People reports that Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s main adversary, the CDC, happens to be very strict about how human remains can be transported. On its website, the CDC states: “All non-cremated remains must be fully contained within a leak-proof container that is packaged and shipped in accordance with all applicable legal requirements. This requirement does not apply to cremated remains, clean and dry bones…”

Thankfully, this case is not as alarming as D4vd’s, who was recently implicated in a case involving human remains found in his car. The singer has not yet been charged with anything, but as more evidence surfaces about his inappropriate relationship with the minor whose remains were found in the trunk of his Tesla, it seems charges may follow.

As for this particular case of the passenger carrying human remains in foil wrapping, no further information has been released by the authorities. There’s no word on the gender of the remains, where they were headed, or even whether the passenger has been taken into custody to answer for whose skull it was. These are very trying political times, and Donald Trump has already accused people of eating dogs and being cannibals, so perhaps giving the public more details would be the responsible thing to do here.

However, it is possible that authorities still need time to conduct investigations, and the fewer distractions they face, the easier it will be for them to do their jobs efficiently.

It’s tempting to point out which cultures have specific witchcraft rituals that require the use of human remains. But the real question here is: how do you end up getting such remains? And how old are they? Specific university professors certainly do have skulls in their possession, but those are often sourced from people who donated their bodies for study after their death.

US Customs and Border Protection has yet to issue a formal comment on this serious situation.