(NAFB) – Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced that their agriculture specialists seized prohibited meat products at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Customs agents seized 243 pounds of prohibited pork bologna in two separate and unrelated incidents.

“Pork products have the potential to introduce foreign animal diseases that can have devastating effects on the U.S. economy and agricultural industry,” says Director of Field Operations Hector Mancha.

Officials seized 55 pounds of pork products on January 13 and another 188 pounds of bologna on January 21. The El-Paso Herald-Post says both the USDA and Department of Homeland Security are working to protect American agriculture against the introduction of pests and diseases at our nation’s ports of entry. Officials add that undeclared, prohibited agriculture items will get confiscated and can result in a large civil penalty for failure to declare at the border.

The bologna was seized and destroyed by CBP agents per USDA regulations.