Massive Shipment of Illegal Milk Seized at Texas Border

A massive shipment--18 pallets--of milk was recently seized by U.S. border agents heading into the country from Mexico.

Got Milk?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently announced that the Pharr international Bridge port of entry seized over 34,000 pounds of illegally-trafficked sweetened condensed milk.

Back in October, CBP officers sent a large tractor trailer filled with “canned cream or milk substitute” to further inspection even though nothing is illegal about transporting large quantities of milk across state lines, as long as it’s done the right way.

During secondary inspection, officers were told that the truck was up to code, with all the paperwork needed to cross international lines.

You see, in order for an agricultural shipment such as this to legally enter the U.S., the driver must have a Zoosanitary Certificate that is issued by the Mexican government.

These certificates basically confirm that any animal byproducts are free from “foot and mouth disease and did not traverse through a country with risk of foot and mouth disease,” according to the release.

Caught White-Handed

So, the truck did indeed have a Zoosanitary certificate… only it WASN’T from the Mexican government--oops. After the U.S. Department of Agriculture contacted the Mexican government to confirm the validity, it was soon found that the certificate was a fraud.

The shipment was then seized, pending destruction. The grand total of seized milk was 18 pallets totaling 48 boxes of 864 containers of sweetened condensed milk.

“CBP is committed to the health and safety of the American agriculture resources,” and “our agriculture specialists scrutinize all documents for consumable goods entering the United States,” Pharr Port Director Carlos Rodriguez stated.