Border Patrol Hits the Mother Lode: 385 Pounds of Mexican Mystery Meat

Who knew the government paid such close attention to where our bologna comes from?

I always figured it was one of those "eat at your own risk" meats.

SANTA TERESA, N.M. - It wasn't drugs or human trafficking but illegal bologna that caught the attention of border agents at a New Mexico port of entry.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Santa Teresa seized 385 pounds of the Mexican contraband meat from behind the seat of a pickup that stopped at the port on Friday.

It's illegal to bring the bologna across the border because it's made of pork and has the potential to introduce foreign animal diseases into the U.S. pork industry.

The 33-year-old Mexican man who was transporting the meat was assessed a $1,000 fine and released.

That's not a punishment, that's a cost of doing business.

No doubt the offender will be back again with next week's shipment, right on time.

Usually officers see one or two rolls of bologna, not 35 as in this case. Officials say it was the largest bologna bust ever recorded at the Santa Teresa crossing.

Cross-posted.