EL PASO, Texas — Processed lunchmeat might not be the first thing you think about when security along the Texas-Mexico border is brought up, but turns out it’s a real issue. According to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, 230 pounds of prohibited pork bologna was seized in two separate incidents in February.

“People will sometimes make light of these seizures but there is nothing funny about these failed smuggling attempts,” said CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector Mancha.  “The importation of unregulated pork products has the potential to introduce foreign animal diseases which can be detrimental to our nation’s agriculture industry.”

Both incidents involved U.S. citizens attempting to drive across the border with the bologna.

The first incident took place on Feb. 25 at the Bridge of the Americas border crossing when a married couple from El Paso tried to bring 110 pounds of bologna back to the states. The first vehicle was driven by a 23-year-old U.S. male citizen who gave a negative agriculture declaration to the primary CBP officer. Upon further inspection, rolls of bologna were discovered inside the vehicle. The male citizen then admitted that his friend had paid him to import the meat. His wife’s car also underwent a secondary inspection where more bologna was discovered.

The second discovery happened on Feb. 28 at the Santa Teresa border crossing. A 59-year-old male citizen also gave a negative agriculture declaration. A CBP officer referred his vehicle for a secondary inspection, and 120 pounds of bologna was discovered in the vehicle’s cargo area.

The attempted smugglers were issued civil penalties for failing to declare commercial amounts of bologna. All the meat was seized and destroyed by CBP following USDA regulations.