It has been a busy year for U.S. Customs and Border Protection ( CBP ) agriculture medical specialist assigned to Los Angeles International Airport ( LAX ) . They are the frontline in protecting America ’s farming resource from foreign harmful pest , beast and plant disease , and biological terrorism .

Since November 2023 , CBP agriculture specialists have wiretap a " significant " identification number of " first in the nation " and " first in the port " invasive pests arriving in consignment of clean - cut flowers from Colombia , India , the Netherlands , New Zealand , Portugal , and Tanzania .

Among the interception were Kikihia angusta ( Walker ) , a cicala from New Zealand , Adetaptera ovatula ( Bates ) , a long - horn mallet from Central America , Zorion guttigerum ( Westwood ) , a long - horn beetle from New Zealand , Uroleucon jaceae ( L. ) , an aphid from Europe and Central Asia , and Steirarhinus depressicollis ( Gyllenhal ) a weevil from South and Central America .

These species damage plants in a multifariousness of way . weevil forthwith feed on the roots , leaves , and fruit of plants . Longhorn beetles bore into the root and wood of plants and can be significant threats to American forests and USDA . Besides the direct price Cicadas can do by feeding on plant source , when they dwell their eggs , they can harm young trees and bushes , aphid not only can de-escalate and kill plant by feed on the phloem of plants , they also are implication vectors of plant disease .

Area Identifiers and National Specialists from USDA ’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services , Plant Protection and Quarantine ’s National Identification Services ( NIS ) and the Agriculture Research Service ’s Systematic Entomology Laboratory ( SEL ) in Los Angeles and Washington , D.C. place these species . Each one was deemed actionable and treated under USDA APHIS PPQ supervision .

" These invasive species are among the many threats to American Department of Agriculture and natural resources , " said Cheryl M. Davies , CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles . " Through targeting , detection , and interception , CBP USDA specialiser cultivate to prevent these threats from entering the United States . "

A " first in the nation " conclusion signify it is the first time the plague was recorded being intercepted at a port of entry or hoard being in the nation . A " first in the port " determination , means that while this plague has been identified at other ports or has other country records , it is the first clip it was recorded from that port of entrance .

" CBP agriculture specialist apply their scientific cognition every 24-hour interval , they are expert in biological sciences , agriculture , raw resource direction , brute scientific discipline , plant science , and pest direction , " said Andrew H. Douglas , CBP LAX Port Director .

During the same stop , CBP agriculture specializer at LAX issued 3,056 Emergency Action Notifications ( EANs ) . EANs alert barter entity of non - compliance with Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service ( APHIS ) regulations .

The EAN provides pick for regulative enforcement actions that must be take to prevent the entry of plant life pests , forbid plant products , or animate being products capable of introduce extraneous animal diseases .

nationally on a distinctive day in 2023 , CBP factory farm specialists appropriate more than 3,287 disallow plant life , gist , and animal byproducts and intercept over 231 agricultural pests that could potentially harm America ’s agricultural resources .

Source : US Customs and Border Protection

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