U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists are routinely encountering individuals attempting to import mangos from Mexico. The fruit is a prohibited product, as it is a common host for pests. This was made evident on June 26 when a traveler from California arrived at the Paso Del Norte international crossing in El Paso. The man declared several fresh mangos to a CBP agriculture specialist during an exam.
The agriculture specialist discovered live insects on the fruit. During a subsequent inspection 12 live fruit fly larvae were found inside the mangos. Because the man declared the fruit he was allowed to proceed without penalty. The seized items were destroyed.
“This man was traveling to California and could have introduced fruit flies to the state had the CBP agriculture specialist not located the harmful pests,” said CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector Mancha. “The impact on California’s agriculture industry could have been devastating.”
Source: cbp.gov