They got to the heart of the matter.
One woman suffered a great loss this week after she was caught smuggling more than 700 pounds of illegal bologna across the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas.
The 43-year-old woman, who is a U.S. citizen, attempted to enter the country from Mexico through the Presidio Port on Monday afternoon when she declared only a cooked meal during the initial inspection, Customs and Border Protection said.
CBP agricultural specialists called her trash and conducted a secondary inspection of the car, finding several suitcases filled with 40 rolls (748 pounds) of Mexican bologna, a banned meat that threatens the U.S. pork industry, officials said.
“The concern with pork products is that they have the potential to introduce foreign animal diseases that could have devastating consequences for the U.S. economy and our agricultural sector,” said Port Director Benito Reyes, Jr. from CBP Presidio in a press release.
The meat was then seized and destroyed.
Officers continued their search for the vehicle and seized 280 boxes of undeclared prescription drugs hidden in various panels of the car and more than $7,600 in hidden cash, officials said.
The vehicle was also seized and the driver was assessed a $1,000 civil penalty, officials said.
“Even if they believe an item is allowed, travelers should still declare all items they are carrying into the U.S. to avoid fines and fines,” Reyes said.
