What are the PPAís harsher civil penalties for the smuggling of illegal agricultural products?
The PPA increases civil penalties to a maximum of $50,000 for any individual who violates the law. However, the maximum of $1,000 remains for first-time offenders carrying an agricultural product through ports of entry for personal use only. Any business or group violating the PPA can now be fined a maximum of $250,000 and no more than $500,000 per adjudication. Under the PPA, anyone causing harm to or interfering with an animal used in official inspections, such as one of the animals in USDA’s Beagle Brigade, can be fined up to $10,000. 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.
