Skip to main content

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  • Archived Content
    In an effort to keep CBP.gov current, the archive contains content from a previous administration or is otherwise outdated.
  1. Home
  2. Newsroom
  3. Local Media Release
  4. CBP Agriculture Specialists Intercept Eleven Shipments with Wood Boring Insects in Two Days at Laredo Port of Entry

CBP Agriculture Specialists Intercept Eleven Shipments with Wood Boring Insects in Two Days at Laredo Port of Entry

Release Date
Mon, 06/12/2017

LAREDO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists intercepted 11 shipments with wood boring insects at the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge.

On June 2, CBP agriculture specialists at Colombia-Solidarity Bridge conducted wood packaging inspections on several non-agriculture related shipments. The examinations resulted in six interceptions of wood boring insects of three different species. On June 5, CBP agriculture specialists found five more shipments with wood boring insects bringing the total to eleven entries with wood packaging material (WPM) violations. All pests were submitted to the local U.S. Department of Agriculture-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service-Plant Protection and Quarantine identifier who determined that the pests were in the Cerambycidae, Buprestidae, and Curculionidae families and all of quarantine significance.

A wood boring pest intercepted recently by CBP agriculture specialists at Laredo Port of Entry
A specimen of a wood boring pest
recently intercepted by CBP agriculture
specialists at World Trade Bridge within
solid wood packing material.

Non-native wood boring insects such as the Asian Longhorn Beetle and the Emerald Ash Borer have been responsible for the destruction of tens of millions trees in the United States and are a significant threat to our national forests and lumber industry. Additionally, eradication measures in those affected areas has been costly.

Wood packaging material is defined as wood or wood products used in supporting, protecting, or carrying a commodity. These include but are not limited to pallets, crates, bracing, and cable spools. All WPM must meet the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM 15) and must be free of pests in order to enter the U.S.

CBP has the authority to assess penalties in addition to claims for liquidated damages for WPM violations.

CBP agriculture specialists work diligently to fulfill CBP’s agriculture mission by excluding harmful pests and diseases from establishing in the US. For more information about CBP’s agriculture mission, visit the Protecting Agriculture webpage. For more information in non-native pests, visit the USDA's Hungry Pests webpage.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021