Human Skulls Found Wrapped in Plastic and Foil Were Being Shipped to South Carolina, Authorities Say

Multiple human skulls were discovered wrapped in plastic and foil at the Querétaro Intercontinental Airport in Mexico, regional authorities said in a recent news release.

The National Guard in Mexico shared photos of the package in question last week, noting that the four skulls were “apparently of human origin” and were being shipped to South Carolina at the time of their discovery.

“During inspections at parcel companies and through X-ray equipment, the [National Guard] detected at the Querétaro Intercontinental Airport, four skulls apparently of human origin, wrapped in transparent plastic and aluminum foil, without sanitary registration,” the agency said in a social media-shared statement, per a translation.

As noted in an Associated Press report, authorities have determined that the would-be shipment could mark several violations of Mexican law when it comes to how to appropriately handle corpses and related items. In a more detailed press release, the Guard added that the skulls were not paired with what they say is the correct documentation to prove “legal origin and transportation.”

As for additional insight on how the skulls were noticed, authorities said that “abnormal organic material” was detected during the X-ray process, at which point a manual inspection was launched. Once the offending cardboard box was opened, the four skulls were found inside, each wrapped in transparent plastic and aluminum foil.

This isn’t the first instance of skull-focused developments spurring global headlines. In late 2020, for example, the skull of a missing man was reported to have been found wearing sunglasses atop a fireplace mantle in Tennessee.