see also: in February 2009:   CBP Officers in Niagara Falls Arrest Fugitive Wanted on Drug Charges   CBP Discovers Illegal Aliens Hidden in Vehicle's Water Tank, Speaker Box   Border Patrol Nets 68 Pounds of Cocaine in Latest Seizure   CBP Officers Seize More than $665,000 in Cocaine at Brownsville Port of Entry   CBP Commissioner W. Ralph Basham Retires   El Paso Area CBP Officers Apprehend Louisiana Suspect Wanted for Attempted Murder and 39 Other Fugitives   Trusted Traveler Participant in New York Arrested with Child Pornography ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers   Agricultural Inspection

contacts for this news release

San Juan, Puerto Rico – Valentine’s Day is less than a week away and Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists at the San Juan, Puerto Rico field office are working vigorously to ensure that all imported flowers are inspected and free of harmful diseases and insects.

San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport is among the 10 U.S. ports that receive the highest volume of imported flowers during this time of the year. During fiscal year 2008, CBP agriculture specialists

CBP agriculture specialists in San Juan, Puerto Rico inspect Valentine's Day flowers to assure that they are safe and free of pests.

in Puerto Rico processed more than 3.7 million stems from January to early February. The vast majority of cut flower shipments are imported from South America, primarily Colombia.

CBP agriculture specialists are the front line in the fight against the introduction of harmful insects and disease in the United States. ( Agricultural Inspection )

The CBP agriculture specialists work with state-of-the-art technology to do their jobs. They utilize agricultural canines specifically trained to sniff out meat and plant materials. They check containers and trucks for smuggled agricultural products or packaging materials that might contain invasive species that could harm our agriculture and environment.

They inspect vessels for hitchhiking pests, as well as, for prohibited fruit fly host material, foreign birds and other plant pests in vessel stores. They examine wooden pallets that could hide the larvae of wood-boring insects poised to attack native trees or nursery stock and they make sure that imported fruits and vegetable are pest-free.

The pest most frequently detected in cut flower inspections in Puerto Rico are Thripidaes and Noctuidae species. The Thripidae is the largest of the Terebranitia in North America. Most species feed primarily on plants. The Noctuidae is the largest family in the order Lepidopteras with more than 2,900 species in the United States and Canada.

“During these special festivities, CBP agriculture specialists work hard to ensure that the import community receives pest free cut flowers in a timely fashion,” said Marcelino Borges, director of field operations. “CBP is entrusted with a huge responsibility that includes detecting harmful insects taking a “ride” to the U.S. while also facilitating legitimate trade.”

“Agriculture specialists in San Juan are diligent with the inspections and work with our clients to ensure that they receive these perishable items in time,” said Maria Palmer, area port director.

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.