EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — Border officers had to destroy 90 pounds of pork bologna that they seized along with a shipment of tramadol.
Neither the lunch meat nor the pills had been declared when a 34-year-old female U.S. citizen attempted to enter the U.S. through the Santa Teresa Port Entry on Thursday in Southern New Mexico.
During a secondary inspection, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found 10 rolls of prohibited pork bologna stashed under the seats of the vehicle and 92 bottles containing 4,600 pills of the pain killer tramadol.
Mexican bologna is a prohibited product because it is made from pork and has the potential for introducing foreign animal diseases to the U.S. pork industry, CBP said. CBP officers ticketed the individual CBP agriculture specialists seized and destroyed the bologna.
On the other hand, tramadol, an opioid used to help relieve moderate to moderately severe pain, has a risk for abuse and addiction. Because it is a controlled substance, it, too, was seized.
“It is important that travelers educate themselves on what products are allowed to be legally entered. And even if they believe an item is allowed travelers should still declare all items they are transporting from abroad to avoid fines and penalties,” said CBP Santa Teresa Port Director Tony Hall.