Egg seizures soar at the border as more Americans try to escape US prices

As the price of eggs soars in the U.S., due in large part to the bird flu, more people are trying to score deals south of the border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is scrambling to let travelers know that raw eggs and poultry can’t cross that road.

In California, a dozen eggs will cost you north of $7, according to the latest Department of Agriculture data. But just south of San Diego in Tijuana, Mexico, a kilogram of eggs is about $2.45, according to government data from Mexico. One kilogram accounts for between 13 to 20 eggs.

In border towns like San Diego, egg seizures are up more than 300%, CBP data shows. The San Diego sector seizures are up 365% from Nov. 1, 2022, through Jan. 17, 2023, compared with the same time period a year before. The Tucson sector’s egg seizures are up 333%, while Laredo’s is up 301%.

And it’s nothing to crack up about if you’re caught. Failure to declare agriculture items can come with fines of up to $10,000, though the highest amount is typically levied against those trying to resell. Still, even personal consumers will get hit with penalties if they attempt to cross the border with raw eggs without telling the agent.

The San Diego Field Office has recently noticed an increase in the number of eggs intercepted at our ports of entry. As a reminder, uncooked eggs are prohibited entry from Mexico into the U.S. Failure to declare agriculture items can result in penalties of up to $10,000. pic.twitter.com/ukMUvyKDmL

— Director of Field Operations Sidney Aki (@DFOSanDiegoCA) January 18, 2023

Officials have said that most people are unaware of rules prohibiting bringing eggs across the border, and if those people declare they have eggs, they’ll let them go over easy, without the eggs, of course.

Raw food can bring disease and insects, which is why it’s banned. But there’s nothing against bringing cooked food, though transporting a tray of scrambled eggs seems far less appetizing.

The price of a dozen eggs in the U.S. is now $4.25, well more than double what it was just one year ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bird flu has decimated commercial laying hen flocks, resulting in the depopulation of roughly 44 million hens over the past year, a significant hit to supply. It is the deadliest bird flu outbreak in history.