The unusual accessory was taken from a traveler crossing from Mexico to Texas.
The beetle was painted gold, decorated with blue jewels, and tethered by a chain attached to a safety pin.
Even though the woman orally declared the animal, the beetle was confiscated because she had not completed the correct paperwork to bring insects into the country.
"Officers seized the decorative clothing accessory and sent the live beetle to a Plant Inspection Station for further identification. Because the traveller declared the insect no monetary civil penalty was issued," the official account declared.
Live, jeweled beetles were a popular accessory in Victorian England and are still worn in parts of Mexico for weddings and feasts.