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 vegetables, meats products, nuts, seeds or grains are banned.
Claudia Alcarraz, a front-line worker for the US Customs and Border Protection Agency, who found the mangoes on the man said, as reported in NY1 Noticias: “He told me he didn’t have anything, so he has mangos. Do you have any more mangos, sir?” Alcarraz is heard saying in a video.
Read more in Spanish:
NY1 Noticias
7 June 2023