Andrea J. Bright Assistant Commissioner | U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) have been actively intercepting harmful pests from overseas, which pose a threat to the United States' agriculture resources. Since November 2023, these specialists have identified several "first in the nation" and "first in the port" invasive pests arriving in shipments of fresh cut flowers from countries including Colombia, India, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, and Tanzania.
Among the intercepted species are Kikihia angusta (Walker), a cicada from New Zealand; Adetaptera ovatula (Bates), a long-horn beetle from Central America; Zorion guttigerum (Westwood), another 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 pests can cause significant damage to plants by feeding on roots, leaves, stems, or by being vectors of plant diseases.
The identification of these species was carried out by Area Identifiers and National Specialists from USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services. Each pest was deemed actionable under USDA APHIS PPQ supervision.
Cheryl M. Davies, CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles stated: “These invasive species are among the many threats to American agriculture and natural resources.” She emphasized that CBP agriculture specialists work diligently to prevent such threats through targeting, detection, and interception.
Andrew H. Douglas, CBP LAX Port Director highlighted the expertise of these specialists: “CBP agriculture specialists apply their scientific knowledge every day.”
During this period, LAX issued 3,056 Emergency Action Notifications to alert trade entities about non-compliance with regulations aimed at preventing entry of plant pests or prohibited products capable of introducing foreign animal diseases.
Nationwide in 2023 on an average day, CBP agriculture specialists seized over 3,287 prohibited items and intercepted more than 231 agricultural pests that could potentially harm America's agricultural resources.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is America's largest law enforcement organization tasked with protecting national security through innovation and collaboration while facilitating lawful travel and trade.
