U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists at Laredo Port of entry stung an ill-fated and unusual smuggling attempt as they seized a cache of undeclared live queen and worker honey bees from a group of travelers in a pickup truck.
Wooden boxes containing 40 live queen and worker honey bees intercepted by CBP agriculture specialists at Laredo Port of Entry “This interception of multiple colonies of live honey bees is an unusual discovery, something not seen in recent memory and reflects the commitment of our well-trained agriculture specialists to uphold CBP’s agriculture mission and prevent the import of foreign insects without appropriate permits,” said Port Director Joseph Misenhelter, Laredo Port of Entry. The interception occurred on May 4 at Lincoln-Juarez Bridge. A CBP officer had referred a Dodge Ram pickup truck with four occupants for a secondary examination. During the examination, CBP officers and CBP agriculture specialists noted a wooden box filled with honey bees within a purse in the vehicle. Upon further examination CBP officers and agriculture specialists intercepted a total of 40 live bees contained within five boxes within the purse and the clothing of three passengers. Each box contained a combination of one queen and seven worker bees.
Bee sting at Laredo border
Bee sting at Laredo border