CBP agriculture specialists issue $300 penalty for prohibited items at the Hidalgo International Bridge

HIDALGO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations agriculture specialists assigned to the Hidalgo International Bridge seized a large quantity of prohibited and undeclared fruits and fresh plant leaves and issued a civil penalty.

“Failing to declare prohibited agricultural items can turn into a significant expense, costing the traveler more than what they wanted to bring into the United States,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry. 

On July 24, CBP officers at Hidalgo International Bridge referred a vehicle for a secondary inspection by agriculture specialists. During secondary inspection, the driver provided a negative declaration for any prohibited items. During the examination, agriculture specialists inspected an ice chest and discovered: six propagative roots, 1 kg of fresh avocado leaves, 1 kg of fresh mango leaves, 1 kg of fresh guava leaves, 1 kg of pork chorizo, two soursop, 1 kg of mango pulp, 1 kg of nances, two apples, 1 kg of pork meat, eight propagative plant units, and 5 kg of soil. All of which are prohibited from entering the United States. The items were seized, inspected for pests and disease, and destroyed. The driver was issued a $300 penalty for failing to declare prohibited agricultural items.

CBP would like to remind all travelers that you are subject to inspection when entering the United States, do not attempt to bring prohibited items. If you don’t know if a certain item can be brought into the country, declare it to the CBP officer at primary inspection or contact your local port of entry before you apply for entry with the item or items in question. Also before you make your visit, please consult the following list of prohibited and restricted items.

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 employees 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.

Follow the Director of CBP’s Laredo Field Office on X at @DFOLaredo on  Instagram at @dfolaredo and also U.S. Customs and Border Protection at @CBPSouthTexas for breaking news, current events, human interest stories and photos.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency. The 65,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We facilitate safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation's security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.