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 Know Before You Go

contacts for this news release

Sweetgrass, Mont. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists at the Sweetgrass port of entry intercepted prohibited agriculture items in nearly 60 percent of the vehicles inspected during an enforcement operation held between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Citrus products, primarily Mandarin oranges from various Pacific Rim countries, comprised 40 percent of the interceptions. Of the vehicles with prohibited agriculture items, 90 percent were traveling to the states of Arizona, California, and Texas all of which are high risk for the introduction of citrus pests.

The CBP agriculture specialists at the Port of Sweetgrass confiscated prohibited fruits, vegetables, and plants 3,870 times during fiscal year 2008. Port Director Larry Overcast said, “I am proud of the dedication of the CBP agriculture specialists who are working hard to keep agriculture safe from foreign pests that could devastate our economy.”

Christmas oranges have a special meaning to the people who live in the Canadian prairies. A gift from the East at the coldest time of the year has brightened many homes and Christmas feasts for over a hundred years. These oranges, however, may harbor pests that would be detrimental to the U.S. citrus crop. The pests often appear as a dark speck that is a waxy material protecting the pest. The pest is invisible to the naked eye.

CBP reminds travelers entering the United States to plan your trip and review the “Know Before You Go” tip sheet located on the CBP.gov Web site. ( Know Before You Go ) Travelers are advised to declare all agriculture products including firewood. All citrus products; particularly mandarins, Clementine, and Christmas oranges; are prohibited entry into the U.S. Failure to properly declare agriculture products may result in delays and civil penalties for violations.

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.