Eggs seized at border as prices hit record highs in US

EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) -- Since the start of the year, border officers in El Paso have encountered more than 90 people attempting to import eggs from Mexico.

On Friday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection warned border crossers to be aware that raw egg imports from Mexico are prohibited.

According to a news release, CBP agriculture specialists have issued 16 civil penalties totaling almost $4,000 linked to the attempted smuggling of prohibited agriculture and food products, including raw eggs.

CBP says importing raw/fresh eggs into the United States is prohibited due to concerns about diseases such as bird flu and the Virulent Newcastle disease (VND).

Additionally, raw chicken, unprocessed avian products, and live birds are prohibited from being brought into the U.S.

Travelers are encouraged to declare all agriculture products to CBP officers and agriculture specialists or face potential fines and penalties.

In the U.S., the bird flu outbreak has devastated egg and poultry farms over the past three years.

It has prompted the slaughter of roughly 160 million birds to help control the virus since the outbreak began in 2022. Most of the birds killed were egg-laying chickens, driving egg prices up to a record average high of $4.95 per dozen. The federal government has spent nearly $2 billion on the response, including almost $1.2 billion in payments to farmers to compensate them for their lost birds.

In recent days, however, the Agriculture Department has been scrambling to rehire several workers involved in the government response to the ongoing bird flu outbreak. They were fired as part of President Donald Trump's broad cuts.

A USDA spokesperson said the Department of Government Efficiency did protect veterinarians and several other jobs involved in the bird flu response but mistakenly fired some workers over the weekend. So, the Department is working to rescind those termination letters.

Gaffs run afoul

Although not poultry, CBP officers did seize 180 rooster gaffs earlier this month at the Paso Del Norte Bridge in Downtown El Paso.

Roosters gaffs are razor-sharp blades used in clandestine cockfights.

CBP warned that the blades are illegal and that buying, selling, delivering, or transporting sharp instruments for use in animal fighting ventures is prohibited in the U.S.

The individual who had the rooster gaffs allegedly also had 7,500 Viroton animal steroid tablets. CBP seized the blades and the steroids and fined the individual $2,000.

Peyote cream and other drug seizures

A drug-sniffing alerted CBP officers at the Ysleta Port of Entry to 64 pounds of methamphetamine on Valentine's Day.

The drugs were hidden in a 2008 Ford F-150 driven by a 32-year-old Mexican man.

CBP said a Low Energy Portal scan of the arriving truck revealed anomalies and a physical inspection of the vehicle led to bundles in the rear seats. Further X-ray scans revealed anomalies within the spare tire.

CBP officers removed 56 drug-filled bundles from multiple locations in the truck. The driver was turned over to the Texas Department of Public Safety to face state charges associated with the failed smuggling attempt.

CBP officers also made multiple cocaine and marijuana busts this week, as well as seizing peyote cream from one traveler.

"CBP officers remain steadfast in their efforts to execute their primary homeland security mission," said CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector Mancha. "Their inspections will often uncover multiple violations and help separate law-abiding travelers from those who pose a risk to our community."

During the last seven days, according to CBP, officers recorded 30 National Crime Information Center fugitive apprehensions. The NCIC targets were wanted for a variety of offenses, including assault, drugs, probation violations, and stolen vehicles. The fugitives are processed and turned over to local authorities.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.