The TSA Revealed An Unusual Burrito Found In Someone's Luggage

The TSA recently released its list of its "Top 10 Catches of 2021" on Twitter, and it's filled with surprising items that passengers tried to get through airport security. Really: One traveler flying out of Atlantic City tried to smuggle bullets in deodorant, another at Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport had bear spray in his luggage, and someone at the New Orleans International Airport had packed a chainsaw in their suitcase. One of the most baffling items, however, was a "meth burrito" confiscated at the Hobby International Airport in Houston, which took the number-eight spot on the list. 

"You can't speed your way through security with this one," the TSA tweeted along with an image of the drug-filled breakfast burrito. When the item was initially found in April of 2021, the TSA issued a press release detailing the intriguing ordeal. While the burrito-carrying passenger passed through the security checkpoint, a TSA officer operating the X-ray machine noticed a suspicious "lump" inside the burrito. The officer asked the traveler, who claimed it was "just a breakfast burrito," to unwrap it. Upon a second X-ray scan, the TSA team determined that the tape-wrapped lump was likely an illegal substance. They called in backup from the Houston Police Department, who identified the mass as crystal meth.

Following the meth-ritto incident, the TSA federal security director at the Houston Hobby airport, Hector Vela, issued a statement applauding the officers involved. "I commend the actions of our TSOs and supervisory TSO who noticed something wasn't quite right and for acting on their instincts," Vela said shared in a press release. Twitter had some humorous comments in response to the TSA's tweet about the occurrence, including one user who wrote, "That's not hot sauce," and another who commented, "Now that's a loaded burrito..." Still a third chimed in with, "Who would ruin a breakfast burrito w drugs? Cmon people."

While this one seems like a no-brainer, sometimes travelers are confused about what they can legally pack in their carry-on bags and checked luggage. If you have questions, the TSA recommends contacting them or checking out their list of approved and disapproved items online.