Border Patrol Agents Seize 22 lbs of...Peppers?

EAGLE PASS, TX – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists intercept a total of 22 pounds of fresh peppers and 2.2 pounds of deeply concealed wheat seed from a passenger vehicle at Camino Real International Bridge.

“Our frontline CBP agriculture specialists, working in tandem with CBP agriculture specialist canine enforcement teams, demonstrated outstanding vigilance and seized a well-hidden load of prohibited agricultural items,” said Port Director Paul Del Rincon, Eagle Pass Port of Entry. “Their tireless dedication to protecting American agriculture helps to advance CBP’s border security mission and protect America’s economic security.”

The interception occurred on Friday, August 14th at the Camino Real International Bridge when a 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan was selected for a secondary examination. During the examination, and with the assistance of a CBP agriculture specialist canine enforcement team, CBP agriculture specialists seized a total of 22 pounds of fresh peppers and 2.2 pounds of wheat seed hidden within the vehicle’s factory floor compartment.

CBP agriculture specialists issued a $300 penalty and seized all prohibited agriculture items. Fresh peppers have been prohibited from entry in the passenger environment since the implementation of a federal order by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) in November 2019 that restricts the importation of tomatoes and fresh peppers to prevent the introduction of the Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV).  For more information, see the following news release link.

On the border at land, air and sea-based ports of entry, including Eagle Pass, CBP agriculture specialists continue to fulfill CBP’s agriculture mission by excluding harmful pests and diseases from becoming established in the U.S. For more information regarding CBP’s agriculture mission, click on the following link. For updated traveler information regarding agricultural items coming into the United States, click on the following link.