Noem said cannibal tried to eat himself on ICE deportation flight. Here's what we know
One X user wrote: "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 circulated on Facebook (archived), Instagram (archived), Threads (archived), Bluesky (archived), Reddit (archived) and TikTok (archived). Snopes readers also searched our site and wrote in seeking more information about the claim.
It was true that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said during a news conference at the "Alligator Alcatraz" detention center in Florida on July 1 that ICE agents had to remove an alleged cannibal from a deportation flight after he attempted to eat himself. However, we could not independently verify the incident.
We reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and ICE to ask for further details about the alleged incident. We also asked whether the ICE agents in question were wearing bodycams and, if so, whether that footage would be released as proof of the incident. We await replies to our queries.
During the July 1 news conference, Noem said: "The other day I was talking to some marshals that have been partnering with ICE. They said that they had detained a cannibal and put him on a plane to take him home and while they had him in his seat, he started to eat himself and they had to get him off and get him medical attention."
Noem further described the person as "deranged."
According to British media, a DHS spokesperson said Noem was referring to the incident referenced in a June 27, 2025, X post (archived).
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!"
Cannibals are people who purposely eat human flesh. Cannibalism is not a common practice in modern societies, where the practice is usually forbidden. In the U.S. most states have laws governing the abuse or desecration of a corpse that also apply to cannibalism.
"Cannibalism." LII / Legal Information Institute, https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/cannibalism. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Cannibalism | Definition, History Examples, & Facts | Britannica. 23 May 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/cannibalism-human-behavior.
"Did Trump Nab His Hannibal Lecter? Kristi Noem Says ICE 'Detained a Cannibal.'" The Independent, 1 Jul. 2025, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-kristi-noem-hannibal-lecter-florida-visit-b2780595.html.
Forbes Breaking News. "Kristi Noem Sends Direct Message To Illegal Immigrants During Visit To Florida's Alligator Alcatraz." YouTube, 1 Jul. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9NV-XQb7QU&t=305s.
Hutchison, Joe. "Kristi Noem Makes Claim about CANNIBAL Aboard ICE Flight." Mail Online, 1 Jul. 2025, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14865979/kristi-noem-migrant-cannibal-ice-deportation-flight.html.
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