The agency noted that the confiscated leeches were of a species commonly used in ‘medical bloodletting treatment.’
Customs officers in Philadelphia seized jars full of slimy leeches last month. The US Customs and Border Protection in Philadelphia said in a news release this week that around 300 blood-sucking parasites arrived in six shipments from Bulgaria between February 19 and February 25. The shipments were headed to Connecticut, Florida, and Illinois. Joseph Martella, CBP’s area port director in Philadelphia, noted that it was common for Customs and Border Protection officers and agriculture specialists to encounter ‘unique and interesting things.
