A Texas man caught trying to smuggle 350 pounds of meat to the border

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents made a meaty confiscation in late August when they confiscated 350 pounds of contraband meat at the Texas-Mexico border.

Officers discovered the meat, approximately 320 pounds of pork bolognese and 30 pounds of turkey ham, hidden in a vehicle of a Texas man, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection statement.

When the man, a 20-year-old El Paso resident, presented himself at the border inspection on Thursday, Aug. 26 toward the border, agricultural specialists discovered 31 rolls of bolognese and two rolls of chicken ham. turkeys hidden under blankets, under the seats, in the center console of the car and inside a sleeve bag, according to the statement.

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The agent told border officials he had planned to resell the meat in the U.S. Officers sentenced the man to a $ 1,000 civil penalty and confiscated and destroyed the meat, according to the statement.

“With the recent detection of African swine fever in the Dominican Republic, it is important not to bring pork products to the United States,” said Hector Mancha, director of field operations at CBP El Paso. “Pork products have the potential to introduce foreign animal diseases that can harm our agricultural industry.”

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