In April 2026, a claim (archived) circulated online that a U.S. airport sniffer dog found at least 100 pork and chicken sandwiches from 7-Eleven in Thailand in a
One X user who shared the claim said a K-9 named Merla made the discovery and that authorities subsequently destroyed the sandwiches.
A US airport sniffer dog detected over 100 pork and chicken sandwiches from 7-Eleven in Thailand
Merla found the snacks hidden in a passenger's luggage, which were later destroyed pic.twitter.com/kBBaF5Tc3z— Dexerto (@Dexerto) April 27, 2026
Other social media users also shared the claim on Facebook (archived), Threads (archived) and Instagram (archived).
The claims were true. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of Field Operations wrote (archived) on Facebook on April 18, 2026:
Though it might be stale at this point, lettuce remind you that you must declare agriculture items (including meats!) when entering the US. CBP K9 Merla discovered 100 pork and chicken sandwiches in luggage. All were destroyed.
The force included a photo of K-9 Merla and her discovery, which appeared to be individually wrapped sandwiches. It was unclear why a traveler attempted to bring so many sandwiches into the U.S.
A CBP spokesperson told Snopes via email:
Imported pork and chicken can carry dangerous animal diseases like African swine fever and bird flu, putting U.S. farms and food safety at risk. CBP Agriculture Specialists use enforcement tools like K9 teams to detect and stop these threats at ports of entry.
The spokesperson said K-9 Merla sniffed out the sandwiches on Feb. 24, 2026, at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. K-9 Merla, who has served in the CBP for five years, reportedly celebrated her find by "receiving a jackpot reward consisting of Old Mother Hubbard dry dog bones, some freeze-dried cow liver, and original Pup-Peroni sticks."
The CBP spokesperson said K-9 Merla had two littermates who also worked as agriculture K-9s, sniffing out prohibited items carried by passengers or in cargo.
Soon after the CBP posted about K-9 Merla's big find, Lepan Bakery, which makes the sandwiches she found, posted a photo (archived) of its products on Facebook and wrote, "It might be hard to find in America, but you can definitely find it at any 7-Eleven in Thailand!"
Meats are among a number of agricultural products that travelers have to declare if they bring into the U.S. because of the risk of pests and foreign animal diseases.
The CBP can fine travelers who do not declare agricultural goods. The force can also confiscate goods if they don't meet U.S. requirements.
For further reading, Snopes has investigated many more claims about man's best friend, including whether a viral video showed seven dogs that escaped an illegal transport truck in China and made their way home.
Google Translate provided translations from Thai into English.