In early July 2025, a viral claim surfaced online alleging that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) removed a man from a deportation flight after he attempted to eat himself midair. The bizarre story quickly gained traction across social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky, and Reddit.
One widely shared post on X stated:
“Kristi Noem just revealed one of the illegals they arrested was a cannibal who began to EAT HIMSELF on a deportation flight. THIS is why we need mass roundups. These people are ANIMALS.”
The claim originated from remarks made by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a July 1 news conference at the “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center in Florida. There, Noem said ICE agents had encountered a deportee who, while restrained aboard a plane, attempted to consume parts of his own body. According to Noem, the individual was removed from the flight and received medical attention.
“The other day I was talking to some marshals working with ICE,” she said. “They told me they detained a cannibal, and while he was in his seat on a deportation flight, he started to eat himself. They had to get him off the plane and into medical care.”
Noem described the individual as “deranged.”
However, as of now, the incident has not been independently verified. Snopes and other outlets have reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and ICE for confirmation, including questions about the availability of bodycam footage or official reports. No responses have been received so far.
A DHS spokesperson later told British media that Noem’s comments referred to an incident first mentioned in a June 27 post on her X account. In that post, Noem wrote:
“Had some plane issues on the ride back from Guatemala. Fortunately, an @ICEgov deportation flight carrying criminal illegal aliens had just touched down on the same tarmac in Guatemala. Hitched a ride back to the USA on ICE Air — great flight. Use the @CBP Home App to self deport now!”
Cannibalism—the act of consuming human flesh—is rare and widely condemned in modern societies. While not always explicitly outlawed, it is often prosecuted under laws related to abuse or desecration of a corpse. If true, this would be a highly unusual and disturbing case.
Until further details are released by federal authorities, the truth behind Noem’s claim remains unclear.
