Trending

Custom officials seeing spike in egg smuggling at the U.S.-Mexico border as prices soar

Officials at the U.S.-Mexico border are reportedly seeing a spike in egg smuggling due to soaring prices following an outbreak of the avian flu.

>> Read more trending news

Raw eggs and poultry from Mexico into the United States is reportedly prohibited, according to a news release from the United States Customs and Border Protection. A failure to declare raw eggs or poultry can lead to monetary penalties.

“There has been a large increase in the volume of prohibited food items, such as raw eggs and raw poultry meat, brought by travelers from Mexico. We would like to remind the traveling public that federal agricultural regulations remain in effect,” said Jennifer De La O, CBP Director of Field Operations in San Diego, in the news release.

According to CBS News, over the past year, more and more Americans are crossing into Mexico to buy raw eggs due to the increasing prices in the U.S. and are trying to sneak them back.

One of the reasons items such as raw eggs and poultry are prohibited from coming into the U.S. is to prevent the spread of disease from other countries, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Part of the reason for the spike is due to a current outbreak of avian influenza which is also known as the bird flu. according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It is being blamed for the increase in eggs and poultry prices, according to the USDA’s Economic Research Service. The bird flu reportedly struck “egg-laying hens throughout 2022,” and because of that and other recurrent outbreaks, the inventory of eggs in the United States is 29 percent lower now than a few weeks ago during the last week of December.

NPR reported that the deadliest bird flu outbreak in the history of the United States along with inflation and supply-chain issues are all reasons why the prices are going up. Some stories are limiting how many cartons customers can buy as a result.

The USDA confirmed, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, that the outbreak of the bird flu has led to the loss of over 57 million birds in the United States which includes chickens and eggs.

“This is the deadliest bird flu outbreak in history, and while the current bird flu outbreak is believed to initially have been spread by wild birds, previous outbreaks of this and other avian diseases like Newcastle disease have been linked to human movement of birds and avian products. Even a soiled bird cage or used egg carton could potentially spread these diseases,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in the news release.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection suggest travelers declare all agricultural items while at the border to prevent any penalties. Raw eggs and poultry from Mexico will be confiscated at the port since they are prohibited.

More information about what can be brought over into the United States at the border can be found on the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol website.