Feds Stop Undocumented Bologna at Southwest Border Crossings

Federal authorities stopped smugglers from illegally bringing undocumented packages of bologna into the United States. The incidents occurred in three separate border crossings in far West Texas and New Mexico.

In one incident, a husband and wife attempted to cross the border from Mexico into Texas at the Bridge of the Americas in El Paso, according to information provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. The couple attempted to cross in two separate vehicles a short time apart on February 25.

The husband, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen, approached the border crossing first and told the officer he had no agricultural products in his vehicle. The officer referred the man to a secondary inspection station where a search led to the discovery of multiple rolls of illegal pork bologna.

A short time later, the man’s wife also attempted to drive across the border. Officers also referred her to the secondary inspection station where they found more rolls of undocumented bologna. In total, the husband and wife allegedly attempted to bring 110 pounds of bologna into the U.S. without proper documentation.

A few days later, a man attempted to cross from Mexico into New Mexico at the Santa Teresa border crossing. This man, a 59-year-old U.S. citizen also declared he had no agricultural products in his vehicle.

Officers referred the man to the secondary inspection station where they found 13 rolls of undocumented bologna. His load of illicit pork weighed 120 pounds, officials reported.

No estimate was made as to the street value of the seized bologna.

“People will sometimes make light of these seizures but there is nothing funny about these failed smuggling attempts,” CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector Mancha said in a written statement. “The importation of unregulated pork products has the potential to introduce foreign animal diseases which can be detrimental to our nation’s agriculture industry.”

All of the suspected bologna smugglers received civil citations. Officers seized and destroyed the bologna.