Border officers intercept 10 live roosters at US-Mexico border

LAREDO, Texas — Border patrol officials seized 10 live roosters in two separate incidents over the past two weeks, authorities said.

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According to a news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, agents confiscated six roosters on Tuesday and four on March 24 at the Laredo Port of Entry.

In Tuesday’s incident, officers referred a pickup truck for secondary inspection at the Juarez-Lincoln bridge, the release stated. CBP agriculture specialists discovered the roosters hidden in stockings under the front seat and the center console of the vehicle.

In the March incident, which was at the same location, CBP agents and agriculture specialists found four roosters in the center counter of a pickup truck. The driver was fined $300, the news release stated.

According to regulations from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, live birds, fresh eggs, and raw poultry are prohibited from Mexico as the country is affected with Virulent Newcastle Disease and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). 

“On two separate occasions in recent weeks, CBP officers and agriculture specialists made an unusual discovery, roosters deeply hidden within passenger vehicles,” Alberto Flores, the port director at the Laredo Port of Entry, said in a statement. “We remain committed to upholding our agriculture mission, preventing the spread of animal diseases and preventing the exploitation of live animals.”

The roosters from both seizures were transferred to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Services.