see also: in November 2008:   Thanksgiving Day Marijuana Seizure Yields 450 Pounds at Douglas Port of Entry   Registered Sex Offender Intercepted by CBP at Pacific Highway Entry   CBP Officers Seize 145 Pounds of Ecstasy at Vermont Entry   CBP Officers in Boston Seize Undeclared $19,300   CBP Advises Travelers of Temporary Construction at Otay Mesa Border Crossing   CBP Officers in Niagara Falls Arrest Man Wanted in California   Customs and Border Protection Officers in New York Arrest Imposter ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

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El Paso, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists working at the Bridge of the Americas cargo facility at the El Paso, Texas port of entry discovered two living wood borer beetle larvae in a shipment of wooden pallets.

Such pests could threaten U.S. agricultural resources.

The discovery was made when a shipment of 400 new pallets arrived at the facility from Mexico at approximately 3:15 p.m. on November 20. CBP agriculture specialists conducted an examination of the shipment and found the living scolytidae larvae in the wood. The pallets were coming from a certified facility and had been marked with the required International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) stamp.

Since 2006, international standards call for most wood packing materials to be either heat treated or fumigated with methyl bromide in accordance with guidelines and marked with an approved international mark certifying that treatment. The discovery of live pests may indicate that the required treatment was not successfully completed. The shipment was returned to Mexico for proper treatment.

“CBP agriculture specialists play an important role in protecting domestic agriculture and forest resources by inspecting wood packing material to ensure that they do not harbor injurious pests and disease,” said Ana Hinojosa, CBP operations director in El Paso. “The ability of the CBP agriculture specialists to locate two tiny insects in a shipment of this size is a reflection of their commitment to the CBP mission.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.