Nearly 90 kilograms of illegal Mexican mortadella were confiscated by US customs and border protection agents on the border between New Mexico and Mexico, the agency confirmed in a statement.
Agents in the Field Operations Specialist Agriculture Office found 22 rolls of mortadella (194 pounds) in a Nissan Rogue truck at the port of entry in Columbus, NM and fined the driver, a 49-year-old man from Albuquerque, $ 500 Part of the mortadella was also found in the driver’s luggage.
MEXICAN DRUG TRAFFICKERS ACCUSED TO TRY WITHIN 2 TONS OF NARCOTICS FOR US
Smuggled Bologna found in a car at the border.
(Protection of customs and borders of the United States)
Mexican mortadella is banned in the U.S. because it can introduce foreign animal diseases into the U.S. pig industry, CBP said in the statement. The meat was destroyed.
“It is important for travelers to understand that they must declare all items they are transporting from abroad to avoid fines and penalties,” said Tony Hall, director of CBP Columbus port, in the statement. “A duly declared prohibited item can be abandoned at the port without consequences.”
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In 2019, agents also seized 154 pounds of mortadella off the Texas border that were hidden behind the seat of a driver’s truck, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.