An Egyptian man has admitted to federal charges after kicking a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture detector dog at Washington Dulles International Airport. The incident occurred when the dog, named Freddie, detected undeclared agricultural products in the man's luggage.
Hamed Ramadan Bayoumy Aly Marie, aged 70, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia where he pled guilty to harming animals used in law enforcement. He was credited with time served and ordered to pay for veterinary expenses before being removed from the United States. Marie has since departed on a flight to Egypt.
The prosecution was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The event unfolded as CBP agriculture detector dog Freddie, along with his handler, inspected baggage from travelers arriving from Cairo, Egypt. When Freddie alerted to one of Marie's suitcases, Marie responded by kicking the beagle forcefully enough to lift him off the ground.
Christine Waugh, CBP’s Area Port Director for Washington, D.C., commented on the situation stating: “Being caught deliberately smuggling well over one hundred pounds of undeclared and prohibited agriculture products does not give one permission to violently assault a defenseless Customs and Border Protection beagle.”
Following this incident, CBP officers apprehended Marie and handed him over to Homeland Security Investigations agents for further legal proceedings. A veterinarian later assessed that Freddie sustained contusions in his right forward rib area.
Subsequent examination of Marie's luggage revealed 55 pounds of beef meat, 44 pounds of rice, 15 pounds of eggplant, cucumbers and bell peppers, two pounds of corn seeds, and a pound of herbs—all prohibited items which were seized by CBP.
The CBP Beagles Brigade is integral in screening passengers and cargo to prevent harmful plant pests and foreign animal diseases from entering the United States. According to CBP statistics from last year, agriculture specialists seized thousands of prohibited items daily at U.S. ports of entry.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection remains committed to safeguarding America’s borders through rigorous inspections conducted by its officers and agriculture specialists at various Ports of Entry nationwide.
