EL PASO, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers said they found a vehicle stuffed with cheese trying to bring the food into the country illegally.
In a news release, CBP said that an Albuquerque woman driving a GMC Yukon from Mexico declared 10 wheels of cheese in her vehicle at the El Paso border crossing. Officers saw the wheels of cheese in the car’s trunk, but as they continued to examine the vehicle, they found an additional 50 wheels of cheese hidden under blankets in the back seat of the truck.
Officers said that each wheel of cheese weighed approximately 1 kilo, or 2.2 pounds. In all, there were approximately 100 pounds of illegal cheese in the car, CBS News reported.
Officers said they seized and destroyed the contraband cheese.
“Travelers can import cheese commensurate with personal consumption levels,” CBP El Paso Port Director Ray Provencio said in a statement. “A few wheels would generally be fine but not 60. It was undeclared and that amount would be a commercial quantity and additional reporting requirements would apply.”
Most dairy products are subject to quota restrictions and inspection requirements from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as Food and Drug Administration requirements.
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