Easter Crackdown by Immigration and Customs on Illegal Contraband

Borderland Beat ^ | April 5, 2015 | By Daisy Barrera

[Brad from Tennessee]

US Customs and Border Protection agents are keeping a close eye out for a particular contraband that is illegal to bring back to the US except in very small quantities. It is treated much as we treat marijuana. Violations consisting of possessing a small amount over the allowed amount are subject to a $1,000 fine, but possessing larger amounts might result in charges that you are a trafficker and result in a fine of up to $50,000.

Cascarones are a tradition in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. But the crossing of "cascarones" - egg shells - is closely regulated to help prevent the spread of Exotic Newcastle Disease, also known as END.

The highly contagious disease affects every bird species, and birds exposed to it are 90 percent likely to die, Customs and Border Protection said.

The colored and sometimes elaborately painted Easter eggs are sold by street vendors and tienditas across Mexico, many filled with confetti.

The Easter eggs or “cascarones” are not being prohibited, but those crossing into the U.S. can only bring in a batch of 10 empty, clean and dried egg shells.

Those who violate the limit could face a fine of up to $1,000, and those importing for commercial sale could face a $50,000 fine. . .

[MeshugeMikey]

Exotic Newcastle Disease, also known as END.

what a pleasant acronym!

[Principled]

Undocumented contraband.

It is an act of love to bring those shells in to be with other shells. Are you going to deport 20,000,000 shells?

[mistfree]

Damn! I need to take my course in epidemiology over again! let me see, 10 shells will not transmit this disease but 11 shells WILL. Hmmm
Someone much smarter than me needs to explain how this works, But of course MY government has all the best and brightest people working for it (and us) {do I really need the SARC label?}