Packages containing 260 lb. of prohibited pork products were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and agriculture specialists at the Laredo Port of Entry on April 17.
According to CBP, agriculture specialists assigned to the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge seized a total of 112.86 kg. (248.8 lb.) of chorizo, 3.81 kg. (8.4 lb.) of pork sausage, 1.40 kg. (3.1 lb.) of blood sausage.
“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 Albert Flores, port director at the Laredo Port of Entry, in a news release. “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.”
A $1,000 civil penalty for the undeclared commercial quantity of prohibited pork products was issued and the CBP officers seized the vehicle.
CBP agriculture specialists enforce USDA quarantines to prevent the entry of pests and plant and 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.
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