‘Stop hiding animals’: TSA lists unusual objects people tried to sneak on planes

‘Stop hiding animals’: TSA lists unusual objects people tried to sneak on planes

Ramon Antonio Vargas

Mon, January 26, 2026 at 11:00 AM UTC

3 min read

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<span>Passengers line up at a TSA checkpoint at Newark Liberty international airport in New Jersey.</span><span>Photograph: Seth Wenig/AP</span> — Passengers line up at a TSA checkpoint at Newark Liberty international airport in New Jersey.Photograph: Seth Wenig/AP(Photograph: Seth Wenig/AP)

An imitation pipe bomb topped the list of most unusual things confiscated at US airports by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers in 2025, just beating out turtles stashed away in a bra and a pair of pants, according to agency officials.

The TSA recently published the list in a video on YouTube as well as in a press release that drew attention in corners of the internet dedicated to offbeat news items.

Officers detected the fake pipe bomb in question in a checked bag at the airport in Boise, Idaho, in May, the press release said. The prop – made of PVC pipes, protruding wires, and wooden blocks wrapped in paper and marked “C4” – triggered a checkpoint alarm. But an explosives specialist who investigated the alarm determined it was all a replica rather than a genuine threat.

The traveler told officials the fake pipe bomb was a training aid, and he chose to abandon it with TSA officers.

“Realistic replicas of explosives are not allowed in checked or carry-on bags,” said a statement attributed to James Spies, the TSA’s federal security director for Idaho. “Our … officers take no risks when they screen a bag and see … [what] could be an explosive.

“We’re grateful that, in this case, the items were not intended to harm anyone.”

The TSA list’s runner-up entry referred to a total of three turtles seized about four months apart in separate cases at the Newark Liberty and Miami international airports.

In Miami, in July, TSA officials caught a woman trying to sneak past an airport checkpoint with two turtles stuffed in her bra, as USA Today reported.

One of those two turtles subsequently died. The other was confiscated and given to Florida’s fish and wildlife department.

That episode called to mind one reported at the Newark airport in March, when TSA officers caught a man trying to sneak a turtle wrapped in a blue towel in the crotch area of his pants past a security checkpoint. Officers in that case confiscated the turtle, and the man reportedly missed his flight after being escorted out of the security checkpoint by law enforcement.

“Friends, please – and we cannot emphasize this enough – stop hiding animals in weird places on your body and then trying to sneak them through airport security,” the TSA said in a social media post in July. The agency said people can legally travel with small animals, but they should check with airlines for their rules “concerning pets on board flights”.

“Small pets are allowed through [agency checkpoints] but must be removed from any carriers and carried through,” TSA’s post said. “Notice we said ‘carried’ and not ‘hidden underneath your clothing.’”

Other entries on the TSA’s list included bullets in Nesquik in Miami, drugs in shoes in Hawaii and pills in a shampoo bottle in Anchorage, Alaska.

The TSA said travelers can ask whether specific items are allowed through checkpoints using the agency’s “What Can I Bring” tool. It is available on TSA.gov and on the MyTSA app.

Alternate methods are texting “Travel” to 275872 (AskTSA) or messaging the agency’s social media accounts: @AskTSA on X and Facebook.

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