Egyptian traveler eats federal charges for kicking Dulles CBP beagle that detected over 100 pounds of prohibited food products

STERLING, Va. – An Egyptian man pled guilty to federal charges Wednesday after kicking a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture detector dog that alerted to undeclared agriculture products in his baggage at Washington Dulles International Airport on Tuesday.

Hamed Ramadan Bayoumy Aly Marie, 70 years old, pled guilty during an initial appearance in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia to harming animals used in law enforcement (18USC1368). He was credited with time served, ordered to pay the veterinarian’s fee, and to immediately report to CBP for removal from the United States. Marie departed the United States on a flight to Egypt at 12:30 p.m. today.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted Marie.

CBP agriculture detector dog Freddie, a five-year-old beagle, and his handler were inspecting baggage from travelers who arrived from Cairo, Egypt when Freddie alerted to one of Marie’s suitcases. As the CBP canine handler started questioning Marie, he violently kicked Freddie with sufficient force to lift the 25-pound beagle off the ground.

CBP officers immediately descended upon Marie, handcuffed him, and turned him over to Homeland Security Investigations agents for prosecution.

A veterinarian determined that Freddie suffered contusions to his right forward rib area.

CBP agriculture specialists conducted a subsequent baggage examination of Marie’s luggage based on Freddie’s alert and discovered 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 agriculture products were prohibited from entering the United States and seized.

“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,” said Christine Waugh, CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C. “We rely heavily on our K9 partners and Freddie was just doing his job. Any malicious attack on one of us is an attack on all of us, and CBP will continue to work with our investigating and prosecuting partners to deal swift and severe justice to perpetrators.”

Videos of Freddie in action can be found at Freddie Facebook Video (1), Freddie Facebook Video (2), and Freddie Facebook Video (3).

CBP’s Beagles Brigade plays a vital role in screening passengers and cargo to prevent the introduction of harmful plant pests and foreign animal disease from entering the U.S. Animal and plant diseases and invasive pests and weeds have cost nations millions to billions of dollars in eradication measures and lost revenues. Read more about CBP agriculture detector dogs.

CBP agriculture specialists have extensive training and experience in the biological sciences and agricultural inspection, and they inspect tens of thousands of international air passengers, and air and sea cargoes being imported to the United States. They are on our nation’s frontlines to ensure our nation’s economic resilience by protecting our critical agricultural resources. During a typical day last year, CBP agriculture specialists and canine teams across the nation seized 3,586 prohibited plant, meat, animal byproducts, and soil, and intercepted 247 insect pests at U.S. ports of entry.

CBP's border security mission is led at our nation’s Ports of Entry by CBP officers and agriculture specialists from the Office of Field Operations. CBP screens international travelers and cargo and searches for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, invasive weeds and pests, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation’s safety and economic vitality.

Learn what CBP accomplished during "A Typical Day" in 2024. Learn more about CBP at www.CBP.gov.

Follow the Director of CBP’s Baltimore Field Office on Twitter @DFOBaltimore for breaking news, current events, human interest stories and photos, and CBP’s Office of Field Operations on Instagram @cbpfieldops.