U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists assigned to the Paso Del Norte and Ysleta border crossings in El Paso, Texas, seized 243 pounds of prohibited pork bologna on two separate unrelated incidents.
The first discovery was made on Jan. 13, CBP reports, at the Paso Del Norte border crossing. A 40-year-old U.S. citizen resident of Albuquerque, N.M., presented himself for inspection via vehicle. After obtaining a negative declaration for fruits, vegetables and meat products, the driver was referred for a secondary agriculture inspection.
During the secondary inspection, CBP agriculture specialists discovered five rolls of Mexican bologna hidden under bags of chips, the trunk compartment and under the seats of the SUV, CBP reports. Upon this discovery of 55 pounds of bologna, the driver informed agents that he resells the bologna in the U.S. for almost double the price he pays for them in Mexico.
The second discovery took place at the Ysleta border crossing on Jan. 21, when a 40-year-old U.S. citizen resident of Pueblo West, Colo., presented herself for inspection via vehicle. The driver gave a negative declaration to the primary CBP officer who referred the vehicle for a secondary inspection, CBP reports.
During the secondary inspection, an agent discovered a roll of Mexican bologna. A CBP agriculture specialist was called to assist with the inspection and found 19 additional rolls of pork bologna weighing 188 pounds. The bologna was hidden under the rear back seat, inside duvet cover liners and comingled with luggage.
Both drivers were issued civil penalties of $1,000 for failure to declare commercial quantities of bologna. The bologna was seized and destroyed by CBP per USDA regulations.
“Pork products have the potential to introduce foreign animal diseases that can have devastating effects to the U.S. economy and to our agriculture industry,” Director of Field Operations Hector A. Mancha said in a release. “We ask travelers to declare any items acquired abroad so we can prevent the introduction of potentially harmful products.”
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