see also: in January 2009:   CBP Officers Discover 957 Pounds of Marijuana in Concrete Pipes   CBP Canine Detects $600,000 Worth of Marijuana at Douglas Port   CBP Officers Seize $80,000 of Marijuana at Naco Port of Entry   Border Patrol Stops Vehicle, Leads to Meth Seizure   CBP Officers at Hidalgo/Reynosa International Bridge Seize Fake $20’s Found during Outbound Inspection   Border Patrol Agents Rescue Woman Injured in Car Accident   U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers Arrest Wanted Sex Offender ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

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El Paso, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers performing anti-terrorism inspections at El Paso area ports of entry made 32 seizures of undeclared prohibited agricultural items during the first seven days of 2009. The typical weekly average is six to 15 such seizures.

Along with prohibited food items, area CBP officers this week also recorded more than 170 other enforcement actions including drug busts, fugitive apprehensions, illegal immigration violations, seizures of live animals and more.

An influx of people returning to the U.S. after spending the holiday in Mexico most likely contributed to the dramatic increase in the seizure of undeclared agricultural items during the past week. CBP officers working at area ports made a total of 32 agriculture seizures during the previous seven day period. Violators paid $7,725 in fines associated with the seizures but could have avoided the penalties if they had simply declared the items.

Prohibited agricultural items seized this week included pork, bologna, ham, lard, chorizo, pork skins, raw poultry, guavas, sugar cane, avocados, pears, apples, tangerines, oranges, potatoes, sweet potatoes, mangos, limes, mamey fruit, hawthorn fruit and live plants. Failure to declare prohibited items can result in a $300 penalty for an initial offense and $1,000 for a repeat violation. If properly declared, prohibited food items can generally be abandoned at the port of entry without consequence.

CBP officers in El Paso seized live roosters on two occasions January 3. Six of the birds were seized at the Ysleta international crossing and another 10 at the Bridge of the Americas. All the birds were turned over to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The drivers were released without incident because they declared the birds.

On January 4, CBP officers at the Bridge of the Americas seized 24 Cuban cigars. A man transporting the cigars did declare them to CBP so he was given the opportunity to abandon them at the port of entry without incident.

CBP officers working at area ports of entry made a total of 15 marijuana seizures during the previous seven days, confiscating 1,414 pounds of the drug.

CBP officers recorded 118 immigration violations at area ports this week. CBP officers nabbed 90 intended immigrants, which was the largest group. In these cases, individuals will use a legally issued border-crossing card (laser visa) to live or work in the U.S., which is not authorized. They also lose their documents and are generally returned to Mexico. Area CBP officers also identified 28 people who were imposters, made false claims to U.S. citizenship or attempted to enter with counterfeit or altered documents. The group also included those attempting to enter without inspection and people who stayed in the U.S. longer than their visa permitted.

CBP officers working at area ports also recorded 39 fugitive apprehensions this week. Thorough exams generated positive matches for people who were wanted for a variety of offenses. CBP officers working at El Paso area ports also identified one export violation generating $500 in penalties. While anti-terrorism is the primary mission of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the inspection process at the ports of entry associated with this mission results in impressive numbers of enforcement actions in all categories.

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.