Snakes surprise deputies arresting driver on gun and drug charges, Texas officials say

A Texas man was arrested after deputies found guns, drugs, and exotic snakes slithering around in his car during a recent traffic stop, officials say.

Deputies pulled over the driver on a freeway near Cypress, a suburb of Houston roughly 30 miles northwest from the city’s downtown, Harris County Constable Precinct 4 said in a Dec. 27 news release shared on Facebook.

Deputies learned the man had an open felony warrant, and they searched his vehicle, uncovering a loaded rifle caliber pistol and unspecified drugs — and also three pythons in the back seat, photos show.

It’s “definitely not your typical traffic stop,” the precinct said.

“OMG I would have to quit my police job and run for the moon,” a commenter wrote on the precinct’s post.

“He thought nobody would check vehicle with snakes in it,” said another.

The driver was arrested for unlawful carrying of a weapon and illegal narcotics, according to the release.

It’s not clear why the man had snakes — which appear to be ball pythons — loose in the car. The reptiles were turned over to a family member at the scene, deputies said.

Ball pythons are native to Africa, though they’ve been a popular pet across the world for decades. They are nonvenomous and are generally considered docile, according to experts.

This story was originally published December 29, 2024 at 9:29 AM with the headline "Snakes surprise deputies arresting driver on gun and drug charges, Texas officials say."