Philadelphia CBP agriculture specialists intercept rare Chief Goliath beetles being smuggled to Germany

PHILADELPHIA - U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists seized three live Chief Goliath beetles on Aug. 19 in Philadelphia that were being shipped in air cargo from North Carolina to Germany.

CBP officers inspected an outbound parcel on Aug. 18 manifested as "4x play toy." Instead, officers discovered that the parcel contained three large live beetles, a container with beetle parts, and two shadow boxes used to display insect specimens.

CBP officers submitted the live beetles and photos of the beetle parts to entomologists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The entomologists identified the three live beetles as female Chief Goliath beetles (Goliathus cacicus (Olivier, 1789)), and the dead beetles as three stag beetles (Dorcus sp, Family: Lucanidae).

Chief Goliath beetles are native to rainforests in Africa. Researchers consider Chief Goliath beetles to be increasingly rare in the wild due to deforestation and agriculture expansion in the tropical regions of Africa, and overharvesting for the international pet trade.

Exotic insects are highly popular among collectors and insect enthusiasts and are illegally sold through underground markets

CBP officers submitted the findings to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wildlife inspectors who requested that CBP seize the shipment as smuggled wildlife. Live beetles are considered wildlife and require USFWS permits to import or export.

"The illegal trade of exotic pets brings hefty profits for those willing to risk destroying a wildlife species and violating U.S. laws and regulations. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists remain committed to intercepting these smuggling attempts and working with our conservation law enforcement partners at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to hunt down and hold smugglers accountable," said Elliot N. Ortiz, CBP's acting area port director in Philadelphia.

The live beetles were turned over to USDA. The remainder of the shipment was turned over to USFWS.

USFWS is investigating potential violations of the Endangered Species Act and the Lacey Act for failure to declare commercial export of wildlife and trading in wildlife without a license.

CBP Agriculture Specialists safeguard American agriculture by preventing the introduction of harmful exotic plant pests and foreign animal diseases, and potential agricultural bioterrorism into the United States. Read more about CBP agriculture specialists and how they help protect our nation's vital agriculture.

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 for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, and other prohibited items that threaten public safety and our nation's economic vitality.

Learn more at www.CBP.gov.

Follow the Director of CBP's Baltimore Field Office on X @DFOBaltimore and CBP's Office of Field Operations on Instagram @cbpfieldops.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency. The 70,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air and on the seas. We enforce safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation's security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration and trust.

• Topics
• Agriculture
• Enforcement
• Office of Field Operations
• Smuggling