Man kicks K9 agent at Dulles so hard the dog “lifted off the ground:" officials

Man kicked out of US for kicking police K9 at IAD airport

A man who arrived from Egypt kicked a police K9 for sniffing his bag at customs at Dulles International Airport. The dog ended up in the animal hospital.

WASHINGTON - An Egyptian man is being sent back to his country after assaulting a police K9 at Dulles International Airport – kicking the dog so hard it lifted off the ground.

What we know:

A traveler arriving at Dulles International Airport this week is facing federal charges after allegedly kicking a police K9 so forcefully that the dog was lifted off the ground.

According to a federal affidavit, Hamed Aly Marie, 70, attacked the dog at baggage claim as luggage from EgyptAir Flight 981 was being unloaded.

Customs and Border Protection K9, named Freddie, is a beagle trained to detect illegal agricultural items. During baggage claim, Freddie alerted to one of the bags and started inspecting it. Freddie detected over 100 pounds of prohibited food products in the man’s baggage. 

That’s when Marie, the owner of the luggage, walked over and began speaking with an agent.

Moments later, Marie allegedly kicked Freddie "so hard that the dog was lifted off the ground," the affidavit states.

Freddie was injured and taken to a veterinary emergency room. Officials say Freddie suffered contusions to his right forward rib area.

Affidavit photos from surveillance footage reportedly show the incident moments after the kick.

What's next:

Marie was arrested on Wednesday and ped guilty to harming animals used in law enforcement. He was ordered to pay the veterinarian's fee and was removed from the United States. He departed on a flight to Egypt Thursday afternoon. 

Marie had been traveling with 55 pounds of beef meat, 44 pounds of rice, 15 pounds of eggplant, cucumbers, and bell peppers, two pounds of corn seeds, and a pound of herbs – all prohibited from entering the United States. 

"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’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C. "We rely heavily on our K9 partners and Freddie was just doing his job. Any malicious attack on one of us is an attack on all of us, and CBP will continue to work with our investigating and prosecuting partners to deal swift and severe justice to perpetrators."