U.S. Customs and Border ProtectionAn Egyptian national has pleaded guilty after he kicked a customs dog so hard it became airborne at a Washington, DC area airport, authorities say.
Hamed Ramadan Bayoumy Aly Marie, 70, pleaded guilty to kicking Freddie the Beagle, who was working with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to detect smuggled agricultural products at Washington Dulles International Airport.
Authorities say he kicked the dog after it allegedly detected over 100lb (45kg) of prohibited food products in his luggage.
Marie was ordered to pay for Freddie’s veterinarian bills and was deported back to Egypt.
The incident unfolded early on Tuesday in the baggage claim area of the airport, which is located just outside of Washington in Virginia.
Freddie and his handler were roaming the area around 06:30 local time when the dog alerted to a piece of luggage which had arrived on a flight from Cairo, a federal criminal complaint reads.
Hamed Aly Marie, who owned the bag, briefly spoke with the CBP officer before he kicked Freddie “so hard that he was lifted off of the ground,” the complaint states.
Still images from surveillance footage inside the airport show the dog on his hind legs and another of him in the air with his ears standing up.
Freddie, who weighs 25lb (11kg), was taken to a veterinary emergency room and was found to have contusions to his right rib area, CBP said.
US Homeland SecurityHamed Aly Marie’s bags were searched and authorities found beef, rice, eggplant, cucumbers, bell peppers, corn seeds, and herbs, according to CBP, which said the items were prohibited from entering the country.
Such products can carry diseases which can hurt native flora and fauna, and prove difficulty to eradicate once inside a country.
At an initial court appearance on Wednesday, Hamed Aly Marie pleaded guilty to one count of harming animals used in law enforcement. He was sentenced to time served and ordered to pay for the animal’s veterinarian bill, which court records show was $840.
Hamed Aly Marie was removed from the US on Thursday afternoon and placed on a flight back to Egypt after the court hearing, according to CBP.
