| | |  Entertainment | Restaurants & Dining 
Cascarones Made in Mexico Prohibited in US
 Pink Rivera - El Paso Times
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March 27, 2010
| | A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialist displays a tray of confiscated cascarones. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) | |
El Paso - Many Easter celebrations in El Paso will include cracking cascarones on the heads of loved ones, but those plans could be ruined if the colorful confetti-filled eggs originated in Mexico.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Roger Maier said the eggs are banned from being crossed into this country because they could spread exotic Newcastle disease into the United States.
"The disease is a poultry disease that can spread if the eggs are not properly washed," Maier said. "This is not the first year we prohibit these eggs from crossing, but we are seeing a decrease in the number of people trying to bring them over from Mexico. Every year it's been less and less."
He said international travelers seem to be getting the message that the confetti-filled Easter eggs are not allowed.
"But we still want people to know they have to declare these items," he said. "If not, the penalty is a $300 fine and up to $1,000 for subsequent offenses."
Maier said the fact that there have been fewer cases of the prohibited eggs does not mean that international traffic is down.
He said the El Paso ports of entry are preparing for a 10 to 15 percent increase in holiday pedestrian and vehicle traffic this Easter season.
Maier said the spike at the border is a result of visitors crossing over to spend time with their families.
He also said the number of applications for the I-94 travel documents, which permit travel deeper into the country, usually double or triple in the week leading up to Easter.
"The permit lets them travel to places like Albuquerque, Ruidoso and Phoenix," Maier said. "Since they get time off work and there's no school, they make plans to travel further. We advise people to get these permits early to avoid long lines and more traffic."
Maier said that other than the confetti-filled eggs, no items typically see a surge in confiscations at the ports of entry during this time of year.
This will be the first Easter season since the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative began at border crossings last summer.
The initiative requires U.S. citizens returning to the U.S. to have a U.S. passport, U.S. passport card or another approved document.
Pink Rivera may be reached at privera(at)elpasotimes.com |
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