Mateus Dal Maso, Brazilian man, tries to sneak 27 snakes on a plane at Orlando International

Life imitates art, as Dal Maso was heading to Sao Paolo with the serpents he bought at a Daytona Beach reptile expo.

A Brazilian man tried to bring 27 snakes purchased at a Daytona Beach reptile breeding expo on a plane. He was stopped by airport security officials.


A Brazilian man tried to sneak 27 snakes on a plane Wednesday, but just couldn’t slither past security at Orlando International Airport.

Mateus Dal Maso was heading to Sao Paolo with the serpents, purchased at a Daytona Beach reptile breeding expo, even though he knew leaving the country with them was illegal, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Dal Maso wrapped the snakes in nylon and hid them in speaker cabinets in his luggage, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesperson Tom MacKenzie told the Daily News.

But security x-rays showed there were snakes in those speakers.

Authorities quickly apprehended Dal Maso, who denied it all at first, according to the Sentinel.

Mateus Dal Maso was heading to Sao Paolo with the 27 serpents purchased at a Daytona Beach reptile breeding expo, even though he knew leaving the country with them was illegal.

He then spent two days in an Orange County jail with a fine of $6,000.

Dal Maso faces a one-year supervised release if he returns to the United States.

The whereabouts of the snakes — reportedly valued at around $10,000 — remain unclear at this time.