Woman caught smuggling 748 pounds of Mexican bologna into the U.S.

PRESIDIO, Texas (KVIA) -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 748 pounds of Mexican bologna at the Presidio port of entry on Monday, September 23, 2024.

CBP officials released photos of the seized bologna today.

The meat, which is prohibited, was found inside of a vehicle entering the U.S. from Mexico. Officers also found 280 boxes of undeclared prescription drugs in the vehicle.

Officers say a 43-year-old U.S. woman was driving the vehicle. She had declared a cooked meal during her first inspection, officials say. Officers started a secondary inspection, removed suitcases from the car, and found the 40 rolls of bologna inside.

The driver received a $1,000 civil penalty and the officers seized and destroyed her bologna, per USDA regulations, officials say.

"Mexican bologna is a prohibited product because it is made from pork and has the potential for introducing foreign animal diseases to the U.S. pork industry," a CBP spokesperson stated Wednesday.

The pork product has the potential to introduce foreign animal diseases into the U.S.