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Today in Found at the Border: Officers at the port of entry in Nogales seized a very creepy mask that someone tried to bring back into the United States.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokeswoman says an officer conducting a routine search of a car on Tuesday found “a suspicious mask that appeared to be covered with dried blood and chicken feathers.”
See also:
–10 Most Creative Smuggling Attempts at the U.S./Mexico Border
The owner of the mask told border officers that the mask was prescribed by a curandero — something of a healer or shaman — who prescribed it as a remedy for insomnia (although it looks scary enough to promote insomnia).
CBP’s agricultural specialists made the decision to seize the mask.
In a statement, CBP’s agriculture program manager says the mask “contained materials of a prohibitive nature that have the potential of transmitting avian diseases.”
The mask was incinerated, and the owner was allowed to continue on without any penalty.
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Follow Matthew Hendley on Twitter at @MatthewHendley.
