50 wheels of contraband cheese seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers

[Stevicus]

50 wheels of contraband cheese seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers - CBS News

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers made an unusual discovery at a Texas border crossing last week — a woman was trying to enter the U.S. with 100 pounds of undeclared cheese.

A woman driving an SUV arrived at the Paso Del Norte border crossing in El Paso just before 7 a.m. on Sept. 6, according to a press release from CBP. She was from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and was entering Texas from Mexico.

The woman declared 10 wheels of cheese, but when officers inspected her car, they found an additional 50 wheels of undeclared cheese hidden "under blankets in the back row of the vehicle," CBP said. In total, the contraband cheese weighed about 100 pounds.

The cheese was seized and destroyed, and the woman received a $1,000 civil penalty.

"Travelers can import cheese commensurate with personal consumption levels," CBP El Paso Port director Ray Provencio said in a statement. "A few wheels would generally be fine, but not 60. It was undeclared, and that amount would be a commercial quantity, and additional reporting requirements would apply."

Most dairy products arriving to the U.S. are subject to quota restrictions from CBP and the Department of Agriculture, and all products must meet requirements set out by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Food and Drug Administration, according to CBP.

While we can all sleep better at night knowing that there's one less dangerous cheese smuggler out there, the article mentions that the cheese was destroyed. It didn't say there was anything wrong with it or that it wasn't safe to eat. Why would they destroy it? They should have given it to a food bank.

Who would smuggle cheese anyway? Is there some kind of lucrative underground black market for smuggled cheese?

 

[Truth in love]

50 wheels of contraband cheese seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers - CBS News









While we can all sleep better at night knowing that there's one less dangerous cheese smuggler out there, the article mentions that the cheese was destroyed. It didn't say there was anything wrong with it or that it wasn't safe to eat. Why would they destroy it? They should have given it to a food bank.

Who would smuggle cheese anyway? Is there some kind of lucrative underground black market for smuggled cheese?

Matt 23:24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

It like several years ago the FBI can't find the Mafia, but they have time to do a sting operation and bust a guy for given someone a dozen eggs.

 

[PureX]

The cheese-like substance manufacturers conglomerate can't allow any actual cheese to get out into the public! Good God, people will start expecting real cheese on their sandwiches! And what's that gonna do to the profit margins of the cheese-like substance mamufacturers??? Call the FBI, call Homeland Security, Call the Senate! This has to be stopped!

 

[Stevicus]

Matt 23:24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

It like several years ago the FBI can't find the Mafia, but they have time to do a sting operation and bust a guy for given someone a dozen eggs.

Eggs? And now cheese. Now, all they have to do is find the bacon connection, and they'll be able to nab the Omelette Gang once and for all.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

the cheese was destroyed.

NOOOOOOOOO!!!!

 

[Mock Turtle]

In a freak accident yesterday, a photographer was killed when a huge lump of cheddar landed on him … To be fair, the people who were being photographed did try to warn him!

 

[Yerda]

NOOOOOOOOO!!!!

It doesn't say how. Maybe they had a big cheese and wine tasting sesh at customs. Or cheese toasties every day for weeks.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Great. Now I'm going to have to find another dealer to get my fix.

Anything in the article that says whether or not the cheese had rennet?

 

[mangalavara]

The woman declared 10 wheels of cheese, but when officers inspected her car, they found an additional 50 wheels of undeclared cheese hidden "under blankets in the back row of the vehicle," CBP said. In total, the contraband cheese weighed about 100 pounds.

Ugh! What an evil *****! She probably votes Republican!

Yaw eht yb, gnikoj tsuj ma I.

 

[Revoltingest]

The smuggler, Louise Jarlsberg, was met with...
"Cheese, please, Louise!"

 

[The Hammer]

Or cheese toasties every day for weeks.

Hope they don't like to poop.

 

[HonestJoe]

While we can all sleep better at night knowing that there's one less dangerous cheese smuggler out there, the article mentions that the cheese was destroyed. It didn't say there was anything wrong with it or that it wasn't safe to eat. Why would they destroy it? They should have given it to a food bank.

They have no idea whether they was anything wrong with it though, that's the whole point of prohibiting unregulated imports of products in commercial volumes.

Who would smuggle cheese anyway? Is there some kind of lucrative underground black market for smuggled cheese?

Probably not a huge market but I'm sure there would be profit to be made depending on exactly where and how it was sourced in the first place.

 

[Twilight Hue]

50 wheels of contraband cheese seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers - CBS News









While we can all sleep better at night knowing that there's one less dangerous cheese smuggler out there, the article mentions that the cheese was destroyed. It didn't say there was anything wrong with it or that it wasn't safe to eat. Why would they destroy it? They should have given it to a food bank.

Who would smuggle cheese anyway? Is there some kind of lucrative underground black market for smuggled cheese?

That unpasteurized Stilton from an episode of Chef.

She should have watched it as a training film first.

...and took notes.

 

[The Hammer]

That unpasteurized Stilton from an episode of Chef.

She should have watched it as a training film first.

...and took notes.

Sounds like the Nanny State to me.

Keepin' the cheese Man down.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Whew! That's a relief. You made my heart jump. I thought that they got my shipment of Casu Martzu.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Sounds like the Nanny State to me.

Keepin' the cheese Man down.

We know there's a secret cheese police out there.

Waiting..... waiting....

 

[The Hammer]

We know there's a secret cheese police out there.

Waiting..... waiting....

Yeah, it's apparently CBP.

 

[Wirey]

A woman of the Yankee order
Had some guests to please
She tried to cross the southern border
With wheels of smuggled cheese

But even though the blanket ruse
Was tried out by her hand
The border guards, they did refuse,
And it cost her an easy grand