MIAMI – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) agriculture specialists working at Miami's seaport intercepted an unusual wood-boring pest. CBP agriculture specialists discovered the pest identified as Scolytinae Family Xyleborus volvulus during an intensive inspection of a container of cucumbers arriving from Costa Rica.
CBP agriculture specialists working at Miami's seaport.
“Finding this type of pest is crucial to the survival and prosperity of our agricultural economy," said Miami Seaport Port Director Dylan DeFrancisci. "CBP agriculture specialists work hard every day searching hundreds of containers to detect pests and ensure that anything dangerous to U.S. agriculture cannot penetrate the border.”
All wood packaging materials, such as pallets, crates, boxes and pieces of wood used to support or brace cargo, must meet import requirements and be free of timber pests before entering or transiting through the United States. According to 7 CFR 319.40-3 (b) (3) any shipment with wood packing materials infested with Scolytinae must be re-exported. Enforcement of these regulations ensures that exporting countries comply with certification procedures for their wood packing materials.
CBP agriculture specialists are the first line of defense in the protection of U.S. agriculture, forest, and livestock industries from destructive plant pests and animal diseases. They are highly trained and experienced in biological sciences and inspection techniques used to detect biological threats. Each year, CBP agriculture specialists intercept tens of thousands of “actionable pests” – those identified through scientific risk assessment and study as being dangerous to the health and safety of U.S. agricultural resources.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Florida includes travel and trade facilitation and securing over 1,200 miles of the coastal border. Find out more and get real-time updates at @CBPFlorida on Twitter.