Contraband pork and poultry meat found stashed in minivan at Texas border, feds say

Prohibited pork and poultry meat — 124 pounds of it — were found stashed inside a minivan as the driver tried crossing the border into Texas, federal officials say.

The contraband meat was then seized by officers and agriculture specialists at the Laredo Port of Entry, according to a March 16 news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Pork and pork products are always banned from entering the U.S. through Mexico, officials say, and other meats are either prohibited or restricted. This is to ensure harmful pests or diseases don’t make it into the country through food products.

Authorities say the driver in this case did not declare having any meats when arriving at the border. But when officers examined the van, they found 117 pounds of fresh pork and almost seven pounds of fresh poultry hidden in the van.

The driver was fined $1,000 after “attempting to import and failing to declare the prohibited agriculture products,” according to the news release.

“This significant prohibited meat seizure exemplifies the importance of CBP’s agriculture mission in preventing the spread of potential animal diseases that could risk public safety and inflict harm on our nation’s agricultural economy,” said Laredo Port Director Alberto Flores in a statement.

This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 12:40 PM with the headline "Contraband pork and poultry meat found stashed in minivan at Texas border, feds say."