Page 12 - IAV Digital Magazine #606

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Woman Loses Over 700
Pounds Of Bologna After
Texas Border Inspection
By
Amaris Encinas, USA Today
One woman lost a whole lot of meat and then some on Monday, following an inspection at the U.S.- Mexico border in Texas.
About 748 pounds of bologna, 280 boxes of undeclared pre- scription medications and $7,600 in con- cealed currency were confiscated by Border Patrol agents during an inspection at the
“port
of entry” in the border city of Presidio, according to a news release.
The 43-year-old woman, who is a U.S. citizen, only declared a cooked meal during the initial inspection, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CBP agents decided to conduct a second inspection, where they discovered and removed several suit- cases from her vehi- cle.
“The suitcases seemed heavier than normal. Agriculture specialists opened one suitcase and found numerous rolls of Mexican bologna inside,” Roger Maier, CBP spokesperson said in the news release.
CBP agents also found that hidden inside compartments in the 2023 GMC Yukon were various boxes of prescription medication.
In
addition to losing the bologna, medication and money, the woman was fined $1,000 for failing to declare the items. All 40 rolls of the “Mexican bologna” were destroyed after they were seized.
The woman’s “Mexican bologna” was taken away because it is a “pro- hibited product.” It has, according to CBP, the potential to introduce foreign ani- mal diseases to the
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UknUvbDGpo
U.S. pork industry.
Benito Reyes Jr., port director at Presidio, stressed the impor- tance of travelers educating themselves on what products can legally enter the states.
“And even if they believe an item is allowed travelers should still declare all items they are trans- porting to the U.S. to avoid fines and penal- ties," Reyes Jr. sad in the news release. “The concern with pork products is that they have the poten- tial to introduce for- eign animal diseases that can have devas- tating effects to the U.S. economy and to our agriculture indus- try.”
Any and all unde- clared prohibited items, like “dangerous toys, cars that don't protect their occu- pants in a crash, bush meat, or illegal substances like absinthe and Rohypnol” can be seized and/or result in a civil penalty, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine