JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Protecting our nation’s borders from dangerous threats: That’s the job of U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and officers every day. And while they're known for stopping drugs, weapons and illegal immigrants, they also stop something else.
Invasive animals and plants cost the United States about $138 billion a year in economic and environmental damages, according to the agency. It’s why Customs has special agriculture units in more than 300 ports across the country -- including here in Jacksonville.
News4Jax was given exclusive access to follow Customs agriculture inspectors in their Jacksonville territory, which includes the airports and seaports, to show us how they search for dangerous foreign invaders and explain why they must be caught.
“We get hitchhiking pests like snails sometimes,” said CBP Agriculture Specialist April Greenwell.
Greenwell has a master’s degree from the University of Hawaii in entomology -- the study of bugs. She’s now in charge of keeping threats off American soil.
Besides snails, some of her other targets include moths, beetles and flies.
“This is the Mediterranean fruit fly,” she explained. "It’s a huge security risk to America’s fruit crops."
Even tiny seeds can put national security in jeopardy.
“This can actually take over our waterways, especially here in Florida,” Greenwell said, showing us a seed that grows into an invasive weed. “Our agriculture here, our livestock, public health, a lot of these foreign diseases that could come from these countries, we don’t already have here.”
Greenwell was recently credited with finding a potentially dangerous moth, a Tortricidae, the first of its kind intercepted on American soil.
“This moth was a few millimeters,” she said. “That’s how small it was.”
It was a stowaway from Germany and experts said this moth could ruin crops like apples and peaches.
She found it while screening a used car being shipped into JaxPort. She noticed the tiny insect in the wheel well.
“Catching the moth is a different story than knowing it’s a moth.”
The bug was destroyed, but the danger continues.
Another target: the Khapra Beetle. It invades grains like rice and wheat and can make people sick, causing gastrointestinal problems.
There's also the danger of Mad Cow Disease, which can come from foreign meat.
And a huge threat in Florida is Canker, which can ruin citrus crops.
“These could be a major problem,” said CBP agriculture unit supervisor Phil Suhr. “Because what it does is it could then increase the food cost for Americans, and also we can’t export.”
Supervisor Suhr and Inspector Greenwell took News4Jax along at JaxPort’s Blount Island as they boarded ships coming in from overseas. They met with the crew and checked everything that comes in -- even trash.
“Birds can also carry pieces of meat or plants,” Greenwell said while checking everything, including the garbage.
One ship the inspectors boarded, originally from the Philippines, got the the green light, with nothing dangerous or illegal found. Same thing with a second ship boarded, an American ship carrying 6,000 cars from across the world. It also got the all clear.
But on land, the inspectors found leaves on a Land Rover that came from South Africa.
“There is some plant material back here,” Greenwell said picking out the leaves, bagging them and then later destroying them.
Inspectors said most of the things they find are brought here unintentionally, but sometimes people do try to smuggle things in.
For example, they showed us a bag of clams filled with pearls illegally brought in from Asia. Also, Chinese beef jerky, another foreign meet not allowed.
“We do come across illegal activity. However we do we turn it over to our (criminal investigation) officers,” said Greenwell.
And while the agricultural invaders may not be the largest in size, the inspectors said they remain a big threat.
“We have the best fruits, meats, vegetables in the world,” Suhr said. “And we want to keep it that way.”
Inspectors said this is why if American travelers are coming from a foreign country – either through the airport or getting off a cruise – U.S. Customs agents will ask them to declare what they’re bringing in. If you get caught bringing in illegal items, you could faces hundreds of dollars in fines or criminal charges.
Federal inspector are also always aware of “agro-terrorism.” In a statement, CBP said:
“Unfortunately, our post 9/11 world includes a new and dangerous threat. This threat is agro-terrorism. Agro-terrorism is terrorism targeting some component of agriculture or the food supply. Examples include the intentional introduction of a plant or animal pest or disease or contamination of food materials with a toxic substance. Agricultural inspections have traditionally focused on unintentional introduction of pests or diseases – those unnoticed in someone’s luggage or hitchhiking on the walls of a container. Now we need to also focus on the deliberate introduction of these threats.”
Items you are required to declare
If you are traveling, you are required to declare the following:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Plants and cut flowers
- Meat and animal products (including soup or soup products)
- Live animals
The declaration must cover all items carried in checked baggage, carry-on luggage, or in a vehicle Prohibited items that are not declared by passengers are confiscated and disposed of by CBP agriculture specialists. Civil penalties may be assessed for failure to declare prohibited agricultural products and may range up to $1,000 per first-time offense for non-commercial quantities.
Prohibited and restricted items
It's the job of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to make sure prohibited items -- items forbidden by law to enter the United States -- are not brought here. Examples of prohibited items include dangerous toys, cars that don't protect their occupants in a crash, bush meat, or illegal substances like absinthe and Rohypnol.
Restricted means that special licenses or permits are required from a federal agency before the item is allowed to enter the United States. Examples of restricted items include firearms, certain fruits and vegetables, animal products, animal by products, and some animals.
Guidelines for fruits, vegetables, and plants
CBP says, depending on the country of origin, some fruits, vegetables, and plants may be brought into the United States without advance permission, provided they are declared, inspected, and found free of pests.
However, certain plants and any plant parts intended for growing require a foreign phytosanitary certificate in advance. For information on certificates, contact the USDA/APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine Permit Unit at (301) 851-2046 or (877) 770-5990.
Guidelines for meat and animal products and byproducts
Many fresh, dried, and some canned meats and meat byproducts are prohibited entry into the United States from foreign countries because of the continuing threat of foot-and-mouth disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or mad cow disease), and other animal diseases. If meat from restricted countries is included as an ingredient in a product (e.g., beef broth), the product is usually prohibited.
Guidelines for soil, sand, and minerals
Soil-borne organisms threaten both plants and animals. If you visited a farm or ranch in a foreign country, agricultural specialists may have to examine and disinfect your shoes or clothing. Vehicles must also be cleaned of any soil. No soil or earth of any kind is allowed into the United States without a permit issued in advance by USDA Plant Protection and Quarantine Permit Unit. Pure sand, such as a small container of decorative beach sand, is usually allowed.
Guidelines for products from Canada and Mexico
CBP says many products grown in Canada or Mexico are allowed to enter the United States. This includes many vegetables and fruits; however, seed potatoes from Canada currently require a permit and fresh tomatoes and bell peppers are prohibited from Canada. Additionally, stone fruit, apples, mangoes, oranges, guavas, sopote, cherimoya and sweet limes from Mexico require a permit. Avocados from Mexico that are peeled, halved and have the seed removed are enterable if in liquid or vacuum-packed but are subject to inspection.