Don’t bring mangos back to the US with you

[Dolores]

NY1 Noticias

It’s mango season in the Dominican Republic and the mangos are delicious! Nevertheless, a Dominican learned the hard way that he should not take the delicious fruit back with him to the United States.

Juan Castillo was fined US$300 by the US Customs Agency at JFK International Airport for importing fresh mangos to New York. This is a first offense. If the same person is found again importing banned articles, the fine increases to US$500. After that, the person could be sentenced to jail.

During an inspection, US Customs and Border Protection Agency Claudia Alcarraz found the mangoes in Castillo’s luggage.

Agricultural and livestock products can have fly or larvae worms and infections such as swine fever among other diseases, which could affect the country’s food production, even causing a food and economic crisis.

This means unprocessed plants and flowers, fruits and...

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[AlterEgo]

True, Mr AE’s niece put one in her carry on several years ago (unbeknownst to her mother, who was fined $250 at JFK).

 

[Facepalm Supreme]

True, Mr AE’s niece put one in her carry on several years ago (unbeknownst to her mother, who was fined $250 at JFK).

Shoulda hauled her STRAIGHT to the GULAG. The nerve of some people.

Just kidding. It seems overreactive but I get it. Livestock pests, improperly regulated can cause millions of dollars worth of damage and destroy the lives of many small farmers. That said, there aren't many small farmers left these days and their lives are generally destroyed by multi-national corps and enormous ag interests but that's a different story for a different day.

 

[johne]

I think somewhere in the process of re-entering one has stated they "have no fruit or vegetables entering the country". That gives them the ability to levy a fine. I think.

 

[chico bill]

You have to be an unseasoned traveler putting fresh fruit in your luggage

 

[CristoRey]

I think somewhere in the process of re-entering one has stated they "have no fruit or vegetables entering the country". That gives them the ability to levy a fine. I think.

You can't teach stupid.

 

[JD Jones]

I wonder if his attitude had anything to do with his fine. Those guys don't take any flak from anyone.

 

[rogerjac]

I often take a few agucate and mangos back to canada. never a problem. Never been asked I don't think

 

[Joseph NY2STI]

A friend's mother got caught with a salami a few years ago. $300.00 fine.
This is New York City, USA. There isn't a food, beverage, spice, or herb from anywhere on the planet that can't be found here.
I don't get it.

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

I often take a few agucate and mangos back to canada. never a problem. Never been asked I don't think

You have to fill out a customs declaration asking if you have any food stuff with you. A false statement on the form and bumping into the Agriculture Canada dogs as you inevitably will, will not make for a pleasant customs experience, and of course every every entry thereafter.

If what you say is true, you have had an amazing run of luck, it will come to an end odds are sooner rather than later. Same here in the DR. There is a whole list of items that are not supposed to arrive uninspected on the island. You may be able to get away with brining them for quite a while until you don't.

 

[Neargale]

I thought and I think was told by ? Customs?That it is ok to import fruit/vegetables if they don’t grow in Canada. So mangoes and avocados would be ok.

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

True, Mr AE’s niece put one in her carry on several years ago (unbeknownst to her mother, who was fined $250 at JFK).

A friend of mine (Dominican) went to NYC JFK with 100 pasteles en hoja in the suitcase. They detained her for several hours, fined her heavily and took her pasteles. How sad all the time and care that goes in to making them.

 

[Buffness]

"It’s mango season in the Dominican Republic and the mangos are delicious! ."

.....True...🥭🥭🤤🤤...but why would anyone want to bring Dominican mangoes to the US anyway? ...You can get mangoes of every hue in the US ....yes ...Dominican mangoes too....

In DR you know its mango season when .....your /friends/neighbors ...et al ...try to give you ....i.e. regift ....i.e. try to get rid off ...the mangoes someone gave them....and you stand there thinking ....this is the 10th person trying give me mangoes this week ! 🙄😩

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

"It’s mango season in the Dominican Republic and the mangos are delicious! ."

.....True...🥭🥭🤤🤤...but why would anyone want to bring Dominican mangoes to the US anyway? ...You can get mangoes of every hue in the US ....yes ...Dominican mangoes too....

In DR you know its mango season when .....your /friends/neighbors ...et al ...try to give you ....i.e. regift ....i.e. try to get rid off ...the mangoes someone gave them....and you stand there thinking ....this is the 10th person trying give me mangoes this week ! 🙄😩

I had three trees of this stuff in Galeras. I opened the gates for the cows to come in and eat them. I had two avocado trees. It would be too soon if I never ate another. The grandfather of my kids is a motoconcho, he'll come by with two putrid mangoes he found in the gutter and think he's bringing gold 🤮

 

[johne]

What's so good about a mango that has been in your luggage for the past 5-10 hours?? Yes it was great here in the DR with all the juices running down your arm and the hose waiting for you to be hosed down like a pig in the pen. But when you can buy that same mango in your home town just as easy as buying beer and milk...is it worth the trouble or fine?

 

[windeguy]

You can't teach stupid.

And "You can't fix stupid".

 

[Tom0910]

I often take a few agucate and mangos back to canada. never a problem. Never been asked I don't think

Maybe never a problem for YOU but a potential HUGE problem for the agricultural industry in your country,very selfish thing to do sir. They have these rules and strictly enforce them for a reason.

 

[bob saunders]

I had three trees of this stuff in Galeras. I opened the gates for the cows to come in and eat them. I had two avocado trees. It would be too soon if I never ate another. The grandfather of my kids is a motoconcho, he'll come by with two putrid mangoes he found in the gutter and think he's bringing gold 🤮

As they say, one man's garbage is another man's treasure. My wife loves mangoes, but unlike many Dominicans she doesn't like to eat green ones. Yes, she smuggled several avocadoes into Canada, unknown to me until we arrived home. In Toronto she had a small can of tomato paste confiscated by Canadian custom (almost WW3 there) I have brough pepperoni sticks to the DR without issues. Once at the airport in POP we almost missed our flight because we had two bags of Dominican Oregano that we were taking to Canada. Once Customs checked it, they asked for a little for their mothers. Sure no problem and we had to run but still made our flight.

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

Maybe never a problem for YOU but a potential HUGE problem for the agricultural industry in your country,very selfish thing to do sir. They have these rules and strictly enforce them for a reason.

Tough crowd

 

[Tom0910]

Tough crowd

Tough crowd for calling someone out for breaking the law and bragging about it. If that's being tough then yes,tough crowd.