CBP reminds the traveling public of prohibited agricultural items for the upcoming Día De Los Muertos festivities

SAN DIEGO, — As the community along the U.S.-Mexico border prepares for the approaching All Souls Day (Día de los Muertos) celebration, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials are informing travelers that specific agricultural items commonly used in holiday decorations are not allowed to enter the United States. These items have the potential to harbor harmful pests and diseases, including citrus huanglongbing. 

Huanglongbing, commonly referred to as HLB or citrus greening, is a bacterial disease that can affect nearly all citrus varieties and some ornamental plants, including orange jasmine. If left unchecked, this pathogen poses a severe threat to the citrus industry in the United States. The first detection of this harmful plant disease occurred in 2005 in Miami-Dade County, Florida. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, huanglongbing is among the most severe citrus diseases globally. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for this disease, which leads to the death of citrus trees and significantly decreases citrus production.

Many border communities observe Día de los Muertos by creating altars or memorials to pay tribute to the lives of cherished individuals or notable figures who have passed. The most frequently used flowers for these memorials are vibrant yellow and orange marigolds, along with ornamental greenery such as Murraya or orange jasmine. Murraya is a host plant for the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, an insect that can carry the bacteria that cause huanglongbing and is therefore prohibited from entering the U.S.

Prohibited citrus fruits consist of the following: oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, sour oranges, and sweet limes. Additionally, other commonly enjoyed fruits that are also restricted include guavas, mangoes, peaches, and pomegranates.

In addition to these fruits, the importation of tomato and pepper plants from Mexico is prohibited. This restriction was implemented in November 2019 to help prevent the spread of the Tomato brown rugose fruit virus, which can cause severe fruit loss in tomato and pepper crops.

Failure to declare prohibited agricultural items can result in fines. Penalties for undeclared, prohibited agricultural items range from $500 for personal importation to $250,000 for commercial importation. 

To better understand how travelers can safeguard America’s agricultural industry and avoid the importation of prohibited items, they should consult the “Bringing Food into the U.S.” and “Can I Bring it” webpages located at:

1. Travel – For International Visitors – Bringing Food into the U.S. – (cbp.gov) 

2. Can I Bring It? - Don't Pack a Pest! Travelers Campaign | DPI - FDACS (dontpackapest.com) 

Follow the Director of CBP’s San Diego Field Office on   at @DFOSanDiegoCA for breaking news, current events, human interest stories and photos.