5-Inch Beetles Found Smuggled in Japanese Snacks at Los Angeles Airport

The live beetles were concealed inside multiple packages of Japanese snacks, potato chips, and chocolate. U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Los Angeles International Airport inspectors found and seized 37 giant beetles smuggled inside several packages of Japanese snacks, potato chips, and chocolate, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported Feb. 5.

The exotic live insects—4 to 5 inches long and worth nearly $1,500—were shipped from Japan and possibly headed to exotic insect collectors on the black market, according to the agency.

“They may look harmless but in reality, smuggled beetles pose a significant threat to our vital agriculture resources,” said Cheryl Davies, CBP’s director of field operations in Los Angeles, in a statement Wednesday.

“Beetles can become a serious pest by eating plants, leaves, and roots and by laying eggs on tree bark which damages our forests.”

Japanese beetles feed on more than 300 ornamental and agricultural plants by chewing large, irregular holes between leaf veins, which makes the leaves look like lace.

Also, their gnawing on grass roots causes turf to brown and die, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The giant live beetles measure 4 to 5 inches long. U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Exotic insects are popular among collectors and enthusiasts, according to the CBP. The bugs are sold online and through underground sources in illegal transactions that generate hefty profits, said the agency.

The giant beetles spread naturally or when people unknowingly move infested plants, sod, or soil, the USDA reported. Since their discovery in New Jersey in 1916, the beetles have spread throughout most of the eastern and central United States. They also infest parts of certain states west of the Mississippi River.

Importing live insects requires a permit from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service, or a letter issued by the agency.

The seized beetles were turned over to the USDA to determine where they will go. They might be donated to local zoos with the proper permits, the CBP reported.

The insects were discovered in January by CBP’s agricultural specialists during an examination of a shipment arriving from Japan via air cargo, according to the agency.

“CBP agriculture specialists combine their scientific knowledge of harmful pests and plant diseases with their expertise in detecting and intercepting these threats before [they] enter our country,” said Andrew Douglas, CBP’s Port Director at the Los Angeles International Airport.

“We are very proud of their contributions to our national security mission.”

In 2023, Border Patrol agriculture specialists nationwide seized nearly 3,300 prohibited plants, meat, and animal byproducts and over 230 agricultural pests every day.