More than 1,000 pounds of pork were intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists at the Louisville Port of Entry not declared in boxes hoping to avoid detection.

Agriculture specialists stopped 13 shipments from the same corporation in Hong Kong, heading to the same company in Bellerose, N.Y, between August 20 to 28. Each shipment contained pork items, some contained pork and poultry items, and one contained pork and other prohibited food. In total 1,104 lb. of pork, 298 lb. of poultry, and 88 lb. of prohibited foods were seized, CBP shared in a release. The receiving corporation was notified about their prohibited shipments and the food was destroyed.

Pork products from Hong Kong are prohibited due to outbreaks of African swine fever, classical swine fever, and swine vesicular disease in the region. Because of the presence of these diseases, all pork products from Hong Kong are not permitted without the applicable USDA Veterinary Services permits, CBP explained. 

“Louisville’s CBP agriculture specialists are focused on their mission to prevent entry of prohibited items from entering the United States,” LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director, Field Operations, Chicago Field Office, said in a release. “These seizures clearly show how critical their role is in preventing diseases from entering the United States.”

CBP’s border security mission is led at the nation’s ports of entry by CBP officers and agriculture specialists from the Office of Field Operations. CBP is responsible for screening international travelers and cargo and searching for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, invasive weeds and pests, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation’s safety and economic vitality.