Egg Prices Are So High, People Are Literally Smuggling Them Across The Border

egg smuggling
Egg Smuggling From Mexico Reportedly On The RiseHuizeng Hu/Moment/Getty Images & Adam Gault/OJO Images/Getty Images

As egg prices continue to soar, many people have shifted their attention to egg alternatives. Some have opted for plant-based scrambles while others have looked to egg substitutes like applesauce and aquafaba for their baking needs. And then, you have those who have taken a much more by-any-means-necessary approach to getting their hands on eggs. We're talking egg smuggling.

CNN reports that as people continue to scramble from one grocery store to the next to find the breakfast staple, egg smuggling from Mexico to the United States is on the rise. The egg smuggling news was confirmed in a tweet shared by Director of Field Operations Jennifer De La O last week.

“The San Diego Field Office has recently noticed an increase in the number of eggs intercepted at our ports of entry. As a reminder, uncooked eggs are prohibited entry from Mexico into the U.S. Failure to declare agriculture items can result in penalties of up to $10,000," De La O wrote.

And if, for whatever reason, you forget about that carton of eggs in your handbag during your trip from Mexico, you can declare the eggs while crossing the border and you won't be penalized. From there though, the eggs will be destroyed.

It's illegal to bring uncooked eggs into the United States from Mexico due to the risk of bird flu and Newcastle disease. Ironically, the current egg shortage is due to last year's spread of avian influenza (commonly known as bird flu).

Unfortunately for both farmers and consumers, there hasn't been much of a break from the spread of the bird flu, so the shortage continues.

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