The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents patrolling the Santa Teresa, N.M. port of entry were surprised to discover 230 pounds of cheese in a pickup truck late Friday night.
According to the press release “the contraband queso” was packaged in three large ice chests. Referring to the 10-pound range individuals are allowed to haul over the border, CBP Santa Teresa Port director Joane Thale-Lembo said, “This shipment certainly exceeded that quantity and was therefore seized and destroyed.”
The 50-year old Colorado driver was charged a $300 civil penalty. Unfortunately, the CBP never specified the intent of the cheese smuggler. I would like to think he was seeking to make the world's largest nacho plate. I guess we'll never know.
Read the play-by-play below:
The seizure was made at approximately 8:30 p.m. Friday when a 2003 Ford F-150 pickup truck entered the facility from Mexico. CBP officers initiated an exam of the vehicle and located three large ice chests inside the truck. They opened the coolers and found numerous bundles of undeclared cheese. CBP officers seized the cheese and assessed the driver a $300 civil penalty. The driver, a 50-year-old legal permanent resident from Aurora, Colorado departed the port after paying the penalty. The cheese was destroyed.
