A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture detector dog named Freddie has become the center of a federal case and a wave of public support after being violently kicked by a traveler at Washington Dulles International Airport—an act that led to federal charges, removal from the United States, and a viral show of solidarity for the beagle brigade.
According to CBP’s official press release, the incident occurred last Tuesday when Freddie, a five-year-old beagle working with CBP’s agriculture team, alerted officers to a suspicious suitcase belonging to 70-year-old Hamed Ramadan Bayoumy Aly Marie, who had arrived from Cairo, Egypt.
As Freddie’s handler questioned Marie about the contents of his luggage, Marie kicked the 25-pound dog with such force that it lifted Freddie off the ground. CBP officers immediately intervened, detaining Marie and turning him over to Homeland Security Investigations for prosecution.
Marie pleaded guilty Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to violating 18 U.S.C. § 1368, which prohibits harming law enforcement animals. The judge credited Marie with time served, ordered him to pay veterinary expenses, and directed him to immediately report to CBP for removal from the country. Marie was placed on a flight to Egypt at 12:30 p.m. the same day.
“Kick around and find out,” CBP wrote in a repost of Fox News’ Bill Melugin’s post about the incident.
Kick Around and Find Out.https://t.co/EURMaQX60X
— CBP (@CBP) June 26, 2025
A follow-up inspection of Marie’s luggage revealed over 100 pounds of prohibited agricultural goods including:
- 55 pounds of beef
- 44 pounds of rice
- 15 pounds of eggplant, cucumbers, and bell peppers
- 2 pounds of corn seeds
- 1 pound of herbs
All items were seized by CBP as prohibited agricultural products that posed a risk to U.S. agriculture and biosecurity.
CBP officials were quick to condemn the attack. “Being caught deliberately smuggling well over one hundred pounds of undeclared and prohibited agriculture products does not give one permission to violently assault a defenseless Customs and Border Protection beagle,” said Christine Waugh, CBP Area Port Director for Washington, D.C. “Freddie was just doing his job.”
Freddie, who sustained contusions to his right rib area, was treated by a veterinarian and is expected to make a full recovery. CBP shared an update on Instagram days later showing the resilient pup enjoying a “Pup Cup” and running around, clearly on the mend.
CBP’s Beagle Brigade is a critical component of the agency’s mission to prevent harmful plant pests and foreign animal diseases from entering the United States. Agricultural detector dogs like Freddie help protect U.S. food supply chains and ecosystems from serious threats.
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(AI was used in part to facilitate this article.)
