Under the PPA, violators face harsher civil penalties than ever before for smuggling illegal plants or produce that could harbor plant pests or diseases. The PPA gives the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to subpoena documentary evidence and witnesses to prosecute violators.
Systems approaches are a series of overlapping measures that are applied to agricultural imports.
These measures are designed to mitigate the risk of plant pests or diseases entering the United States and may include specific treatments, inspections, or certifications. PPQ has identified eight PPA action areas and established implementation time frames to ensure new authorities are fully incorporated into program activities. Developing regulations for the movement of biological control organisms. The Beagle Brigade is made up of detector dogs that work at international airports and borders to sniff passenger luggage and packages for hidden fruits, vegetables, meats, and other agricultural products that may contain invasive animal or plant pests or diseases. PPQ is currently developing uniform standards for the enforcement of these new civil penalties.