Texas Border Business
LAREDO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers recently discovered over 260 pounds of prohibited pork products in a single enforcement action at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge.
“Our frontline CBP officers maintained strict vigilance amid the onslaught of heavy Holy Week traffic and uncovered a commercial quantity of pork hidden within a passenger vehicle,” said Port Director Albert Flores, Laredo Port of Entry. “Seizures like these reinforce CBP’s dedication to protecting American agriculture and the American public from prohibited agricultural items that could harbor plant pests and animal diseases.”
The seizure occurred on the evening of April 17 when CBP officers assigned to the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge referred a Dodge Caliber to secondary inspection. Upon inspection of the vehicle, officers encountered a black bag with prohibited pork items under the passenger seat. Further examination of the vehicle revealed multiple bags of pork product in the rear hatch area of the vehicle. CBP agriculture specialists seized a total of 112.86 kgs of chorizo, 3.81 kgs of pork sausage, 1.40 kgs of blood sausage.
CBP agriculture specialists issued a $1,000 civil penalty for the undeclared commercial quantity of prohibited pork products, and CBP officers seized the vehicle.
CBP agriculture specialists enforce United States Department of Agriculture quarantines to prevent the entry of pests and plant & animal diseases that could damage the agriculture industry in the U.S. Attempting to bring in prohibited agricultural items could lead to traveler delays and may result in a fine ranging from $300 to $1,000.
CBP agriculture specialists and CBP officers work diligently to fulfill CBP’s agriculture mission by excluding harmful pests and diseases from becoming established in the U.S. Read more about CBP’s agriculture mission.
