It has been a busy year for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists assigned to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). They are the frontline in protecting America's agriculture resources from foreign harmful pests, animal and plant diseases, and bioterrorism.
Since November 2023, CBP agriculture specialists have intercepted a "significant" number of "first in the nation" and "first in the port" invasive pests arriving in shipments of fresh-cut flowers from Colombia, India, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, and Tanzania.
Among the interceptions were Kikihia angusta (Walker), a cicada from New Zealand, Adetaptera ovatula (Bates), a long-horn beetle from Central America, Zorion guttigerum (Westwood), a long-horn beetle from New Zealand, Uroleucon jaceae (L.), an aphid from Europe and Central Asia, and Steirarhinus depressicollis (Gyllenhal) a weevil from South and Central America.
These species damage plants in a variety of ways. Weevils directly feed on the roots, leaves, and fruit of plants. Longhorn beetles bore into the stem and wood of plants and can be significant threats to American forests and agriculture. Besides the direct damage Cicadas can do by feeding on plant roots, when they lay their eggs, they can harm young trees and bushes, aphids not only can weaken and kill plants by feeding on the phloem of plants, they also are import vectors of plant diseases.
Area Identifiers and National Specialists from USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, Plant Protection and Quarantine's National Identification Services (NIS) and the Agriculture Research Service's Systematic Entomology Laboratory (SEL) in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. identified these species. Each one was deemed actionable and treated under USDA APHIS PPQ supervision.
"These invasive species are among the many threats to American agriculture and natural resources," said Cheryl M. Davies, CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles. "Through targeting, detection, and interception, CBP agriculture specialists work to prevent these threats from entering the United States."
A "first in the nation" determination means it is the first time the pest was recorded being intercepted at a port of entry or collected being in the country. A "first in the port" determination, means that while this pest has been identified at other ports or has other country records, it is the first time it was recorded from that port of entry.
"CBP agriculture specialists apply their scientific knowledge every day, they are experts in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, animal science, plant science, and pest management," said Andrew H. Douglas, CBP LAX Port Director.
During the same period, CBP agriculture specialists at LAX issued 3,056 Emergency Action Notifications (EANs). EANs alert trade entities of non-compliance with Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regulations.
The EAN provides options for regulatory enforcement actions that must be taken to prevent the entry of plant pests, prohibited plant products, or animal products capable of introducing foreign animal diseases.
Nationwide on a typical day in 2023, CBP agriculture specialists seize more than 3,287 prohibited plants, meat, and animal byproducts and intercept over 231 agricultural pests that could potentially harm America's agricultural resources.
Source: US Customs and Border Protection