Federal and state officials gathered at LAX Terminal 7 to spread the word: DO NOT bring certain items back into the country with you after a trip or risk facing a hefty fine.
"We encourage you to go out, enjoy your wonderful stay in your exotic locations, but when you come home, don't bring fruits or vegetables or meat products or any other type of natural product into the state," Victoria Hornbaker with the California Department of Food and Agriculture told KNX News' John Baird.
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She says doing so poses a sizeable risk of spreading disease or pests throughout the agriculture industry, so travelers will be held accountable regardless of their mode of transportation. "Whether you're driving your car, coming on a boat, or whether you're in your RV enjoying the time with your family when you're traveling," Hornbaker said. "we ask you, please don't pack a pest."
If you are caught with even a single piece of fruit, you could be hit with a hefty fine.
According to John Anaya, an agriculture specialist with US Customs and Border Protection, an agent will give travelers a chance to be honest because mistakes happen. However, "[if] we open their luggage and we find something, that will result in a $300 civil penalty that they must pay."
Anaya says the fine is not based on the quantity or quality of the product: "It's based on because they didn't declare it. It could be a packet of seeds that they brought over."
He said if the agent senses you are being genuine when you say you forgot the item was in your bag, they might let you off with a warning, but why take that chance?
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