More egg product seizures than fentanyl seizures at the border so far this year
As the bird flu continues to wreak havoc on the U.S. egg supply, U.S. Customs and Border Protection data show there have been significantly more egg products seized at U.S. borders than the number of seizures of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl so far in fiscal year 2025, El.kz reports citing cbsnews.com.
According to the CBP data, there have been 413 drug seizure events involving fentanyl in fiscal year 2025, with December, January and February all having fewer fentanyl seizures than in those months the year before.
Meanwhile, there have been 5,572 egg product interceptions so far this fiscal year, the data show. There were nearly 16,000 such interceptions in all of fiscal year 2024.
In February, the agency's San Diego field office reported a 158% increase in egg interceptions since fiscal year 2024.
The rise in egg interceptions comes as the U.S. continues to battle an outbreak of avian flu that has devastated the poultry industry and caused a surge in egg prices and shortages in some stores.
CBP has said most of the egg product interceptions that have occurred were because people were unaware that they couldn't bring those products across the border. "Travelers are prohibited from bringing fresh eggs, raw chicken, or live birds into the United States from Mexico," the agency notes.
Officials warn that bringing in such products, even though they might be cheaper for individuals, carry potential health risks and could make problems even worse.
"According to U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service statistics, a devastating outbreak of avian influenza has affected millions of domestic birds in the United States, contributing to rising egg and poultry prices," CBP's San Diego office said in February. "This ongoing bird flu outbreak, the worst on record, serves as a reminder of the role human behaviors, such as transporting birds and avian products, can play in disease transmission. Items like soiled bird cages or used egg carton can spread diseases, including Virulent Newcastle disease," a respiratory virus that's often fatal to infected birds.
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