How much does a dozen eggs cost you, roughly? Some Americans seem to think paying $3.40 for a pack of 30 eggs is a steal — and one way to find eggs at that price is by going to Juarez, Mexico.
It may be illegal to transport raw eggs across the border, but that’s not stopping folks looking for a good bargain.
Border Report says U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been seizing more and more eggs at the Mexican border. Seizures of eggs between October 1 and December 31 were up 108 percent from the same period last year.
The outlet notes that, since then, egg prices in the U.S. have soared to above $5 a dozen after the avian flu took out millions of egg-laying hens across the country.
CBP supervisory agriculture specialist Charles Payne is warning Americans that, although paying less than $3.50 for 30 eggs seems like a bargain, it’s not worth breaking the law. “If you fail to declare them or try to smuggle them, you face civil penalties,” said Payne.
How much are the fines? They can go as high as $10,000.
Payne also added that, even if you do declare your inexpensive eggs at the border, they will still be seized and destroyed via incineration. But, on the bright side, you won’t have to play a fine.