LOS ANGELES (KMJ) — Customs agents at Los Angeles International seized 450 tamales which a passenger from Mexico attempted to bring into the country earlier this month.
The contraband food-stuff was confiscated because of the pork inside, which agents say can carry serious diseases.
Agents there say the unidentified passenger marked ‘yes’ on the customs declaration form, but when asked about it they responded that the items didn’t contain any pork meat products.
CBP investigated the tamales further, and discovered that there was indeed pork inside. The tamales were then seized and destroyed.
“Although tamales are a popular holiday tradition”, says CBP Acting Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles Anne Maricich, “foreign meat products can carry serious animal diseases from countries affected by outbreaks of Avian Influenza, Mad Cow and Swine Fever.”
“Every day CBP agriculture specialists prevent the intentional and unintentional introduction of harmful pests and foreign animal diseases into the U.S.”
The passenger was assessed a $1,000 civil penalty for commercial activity with intent to distribute.
The Federal agency says any international travelers must declare to customs any food that they wish to bring into the country, even if they consider it to be legal to do so.
KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew has the story, and you can hear his report as it aired on KMJ:
