Man caught smuggling a turtle through TSA in New Jersey!

A Pennsylvania man was found with an invasive turtle concealed in his pants, per TSA

Stock photo of a baby turtle. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department executed Operation Turtle Rescue on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, after discovering the illegal sale and unsafe storage of the reptiles was taking place on the Strip.

Baby turtle Stock photo of a baby turtle. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department executed Operation Turtle Rescue on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, after discovering the illegal sale and unsafe storage of the reptiles was taking place on the Strip. (Douglas Rissing/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

By Tory

According to TSA, a Pennsylvania man was caught with a turtle concealed in his pants at Newark Liberty International Airport.

The interaction...very interesting to say the least. The TSA officer administered a pat-down to a Pennsylvania man, only to question what the gentleman was trying to sneak through. The gentleman revealed he was trying to sneak a red ear slider turtle through in a blue towel hidden in his pants.

Where is the turtle now? According to the TSA press release, Port Authority Police contacted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and local animal control officials. The man was escorted out of the checkpoint by police.

If you’re unsure of what you can bring through TSA, best to visit tsa.gov.