South Florida Police Apprehend 14-Foot Burmese Python Near Busy Road

A 14-foot-long was found living life in the fast lane in Miami.

On the morning of Wednesday, September 17, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and the Pinecrest Police Department responded to a report from a construction crew that had spotted a gigantic snake near their work site, according to the police department. The authorities who responded to the snake sighting in Pinecrest — a village roughly 11 miles southwest of Miami — found a 14-foot Burmese python at the scene, located next to a busy road.

“Not your everyday traffic stop! Sergeant Carlos Atola and a Sheriff’s Deputy successfully captured a massive 14-foot Burmese python along U.S. 98,” the Pinecrest Police Department wrote in a Facebook post about the incident. The post also included a photo of two law enforcement officials holding the enormous snake between them.

The post added, “This invasive species poses a serious threat to Florida’s native wildlife, and thanks to quick action, it’s one less slithering danger on our roads and in our community.”

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the Burmese python is not native to the state. They originate from areas in India, China, and Southeast Asia, and likely spread throughout Florida, especially the state’s Everglades region, through the exotic pet trade.

Florida hosts an annual python hunt to help curb the spread of the invasive species. Taylor Stanberry won the 2025 contest, collecting 60 pythons over the 10-day event. FWC notes that it is legal to humanely kill pythons in Florida throughout the year.

The species is considered one of the largest snakes in the world, measuring between 6 and 9 feet in length. The longest python ever caught in Florida was 18 feet in length, per the FWC.

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The Burmese python is a nonvenomous predator and has exhibited an appetite for birds, small mammals, reptiles, and even house cats and dogs. The invasive species is dangerous to protected species in Florida, including the endangered Key Largo woodrat and the threatened wood stork.