MIAMI - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) agriculture specialists at Miami International Airport seized a shipment of hatching eggs arriving last Friday in an express mail package from Brazil.
Hatching eggs seized at Miami International Airport.
Agriculture specialists selected the package, which was manifested as “Handicraft Gifts,” for inspection after unusual items were viewed on the X-ray. While performing an enforcement examination of the package, agriculture specialists discovered five individual hatching eggs.
Verification was made through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) that this shipment was in fact hatching eggs and that it lacked the proper import permit.
Hatching eggs are of concern to CBP due to their ability to carry highly contagious diseases.
“Our CBP agriculture specialists work tirelessly to uphold CBP’s agriculture mission. They know what to look for and they know the consequences of intentional or unintentional entry of biological threats into the United States,” said Miami International Airport Port Director Christopher Maston.
CBP agriculture specialists have extensive training and experience in the biological sciences and in the inspection of agricultural commodities.
On a typical day, CBP agriculture specialists inspect tens of thousands of international air passengers, and air and sea cargo nationally being imported to the United States seizing 4,447 prohibited meat, plant materials or animal products.
Learn more about CBP’s agriculture mission and visit @CBPFlorida on Twitter for more on CBP in Florida.