S mu gg l i n g , I n t e rd i c t i o n , a n d

Trade Compliance Pro g r a m

Safeguarding History

In today’s global marketplace, the borders

between countries are beginning to disappear.

International travel and trade take place in larger

numbers and with fewer restrictions than ever before,

bringing an average of 435,000 people into the

United States each day. However, this huge volume

of people and products often brings with it real

threats to American agricultural and natural

resources. These threats include foreign pests and

diseases that could devastate these resources.

While Americans have grown accustomed to seeing healthy varieties of food at supermarkets, diverse

selections of plants at their local nurseries, and marvelous animals, trees, and ornamental plants at local

zoos and parks, people do not always realize the protective measures the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s

(USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

(APHIS) and other agencies take to preserve these

environmental and agricultural resources.

APHIS wants to ensure the availability of domestic and imported foods in the marketplace, facilitate

the exportation of agricultural commodities to foreign

countries, and preserve the health and diversity of

our agricultural resources. In response to the growing volume of smuggled and improperly imported

agricultural products entering the United States,

APHIS created Plant Protection and Quarantine’s

(PPQ) Smuggling, Interdiction, and Trade Compliance

Program (SITC). The SITC program’s mission is to

identify the unlawful entry and distribution of prohibited agricultural products. These products may harbor

harmful exotic plant and animal pests, diseases, or

invasive species that could seriously damage

America’s crops, livestock, and environment.

SITC History

In the mid 1990s, Asian fruit growers from the

Homestead, FL, area complained to PPQ’s Deputy

Administrator about illegally imported specialty crops

from Thailand, specifically lichee and longans, flooding the New York markets. The agricultural products

in New York eliminated the commodities’ shipping

costs from Florida and adversely affected many growers in the region. PPQ and APHIS Investigative and

Enforcement Services (IES) formed a team that

determined the prohibited items from Thailand were

being smuggled through the Canadian border in

enormous quantities. These prohibited products were

being offered for sale in the New York City market

areas and were definitely competing with domestic

and legal production.

PPQ team members intercepted the prohibited

material crossing the Canadian border, and IES

agents prosecuted the violators taking part in the

shipping operation. In the first 2 years of the program, more than 68 tons of prohibited Asian fruit

were seized and destroyed.

The success of this operation led to the expansion of the program and development of specific position descriptions for PPQ liaison officers. A PPQ liaison officer is a PPQ officer who, in addition to their

regular PPQ officer duties, works with IES investigators to identify and close the pathways of the unlawful

entry and domestic distribution of prohibited foreign

agricultural products into the United States. These

positions were established nationwide in small numbers and organized into a network of officers whose

main function was to detect and close smuggling

pathways.

With new positions and a growing challenge,

PPQ established two additional satellite programs:

Closing the Los Angeles Marketplace Pathway

(CLAMP) and Florida Interdiction and Smuggling

Team (FIST). State and Federal officials in the

CLAMP program were tasked to detect smuggled

fruit-fly host material and close the pathway of that

harmful pest. FIST, on the other hand, had objectives much larger in scope. Both programs effectively

sealed off pathways for potential exotic pest introducTexas SITC Work Unit 

Area of coverage and information 

contact for Texas SITC

Area of Coverage:

Texas and New Mexico

Information Contact:

SITC Supervisor

USDA, APHIS, PPQ, SITC

11811 East Freeway, Suite 560

Houston, TX 77029

Phone: (713) 393–1020

Fax: (713) 393–1028
tions into the United States. As the organization

became more successful and was recognized as an

additional regulatory force within PPQ, it was reorganized into the current Smuggling, Interdiction, and

Trade Compliance program.

SITC Partners

SITC officers nationwide shut down illegal pathways and agriculture distribution points in many ways.

The unit routinely works with agents from the U.S.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Customs

and Border Patrol (CBP) during agricultural antismuggling and cooperative interdiction efforts at air, land,

and sea ports-of-entry.

Besides port operations, teams of officers conduct

local domestic market surveys, canvassing markets

and grocery stores around the country seeking prohibited agricultural commodities. When agents have

evidence a regulation has been violated, they turn the

case over to APHIS’ IES unit and USDA’s Office of the

Inspector General for prosecution. If warranted,

APHIS will pursue civil and criminal penalties. The

agency’s efforts have led to grand jury indictments

and Federal sentencing, hundreds of thousands of

dollars in fines, and seizures of prohibited agricultural

products valued at several million dollars. If vendors

aren’t aware they’re selling prohibited items, the onsite

official will explain Federal regulations and begin the

importation trace to find the illegal pathway.

Domestic market surveillance and port inspections are highly effective methods to deter smuggling,

but there are times when the unit resorts to other

measures. As needed, SITC officers and other PPQ

employees conduct trade verification operations and

stepped–up inspections of cargo, passenger vehicles,

and mail packages to seal off the flow of goods into

the United States. Working with each State’s department of agriculture, and other Federal agencies such

as CBP, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Food and

Drug Administration, and USDA’s Food Safety and

Inspection Service, the SITC unit achieves compliance with regulations through comprehensive investigations, sound enforcement, and strong outreach

efforts. The education and outreach campaigns target

importers, market owners, transportation companies,

retailers, and the general public.

SITC At Work

In fiscal year (FY) 2004, the SITC program was

responsible for seizing and destroying 213,980

pounds of prohibited agricultural material. Its effectiveness in shutting down smuggling pathways has

supported its main mission of protecting American

agriculture and protecting our agriculture export

industry.

What You Can Do

If you become aware of potential smuggling of

prohibited exotic fruits, vegetables, or meat products,

you can help by contacting the confidential Hotline

number at 1–800–877–3835 and leaving a detailed

message and contact telephone number. USDA

protects the confidentiality of all information sources.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination

in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national

origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status,

familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic

information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an

individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program.

(Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office

of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C.

20250–9410, or call (800) 795–3272 (voice) or (202) 720–6382

(TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.