Over $96,000 In Viagra Pills Seized From Baggage At O'Hare: CBP

CHICAGO — Customs inspectors seized nearly $100,000 worth of erectile dysfunction pills found in the luggage of a passenger returning from abroad Thursday at O'Hare International Airport, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Officers discovered eight boxes containing 3,200 tablets of Sildenafil Citrate, the generic form of Viagra, during a baggage exam.

A man who had just arrived on a flight from India told officers the pills were considered an over-the-counter medication there and he had brought them back "for his friends," according to a CBP spokesperson.

No charges were filed in connection with the incident, the spokesperson said. The passenger continued on a connecting flight to Savannah, Georgia.

It is illegal to import pharmaceuticals produced abroad for personal use under most circumstances, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which recommends travelers bring bring a valid prescription or doctor's note when traveling internationally with medication.

“Our inspecting officers have the daunting tasks of inspecting items passengers are trying to bring into the U.S.,” Shane Campbell, area port director for CBP in Chicago, said in a statement.

“Some passengers try to hide some of their items from our officers, which could prove to be a dangerous. In this instance, our officers found these pills and prevented them from entering the U.S. and harming our community.”