Competitive runners boast of four-minute miles, but even they can’t keep pace with an invasive weed species that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) intercepted at the Port of Wilmington last week.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) identified a weed seed, discovered during a CBP inspection of pineapples that arrived aboard the M/V Eurus Lima from Costa Rica, as Mikania micrantha.
The invasive “Mile-a-Minute weed” (also known as Chinese creeper, climbing hempweed and bittervine) is a noxious weed that can grow as much as three inches in 24 hours, and it crowds out native species.
“Our agriculture specialists immediately recognized this as a potential threat to American agriculture,” said Zachary Pillarelli, CBP Specialist. “I guess you can say CBP successfully outran another invasive species threat.”
CBP ordered the container secured and issued an Emergency Action Notification for the container to be re-exported.
It was a busy week for border protection officials. Among other things, they:
- Discovered a scarab beetle and a weevil beetle in containers of pineapples that arrived aboard the M/V Dole Chile from Costa Rica resulting in an Emergency Action Notification on nine containers requiring fumigation exportation
- While clearing military flights at Dover Air Force Base, seized three bottles of absinthe alcohol, 24 Kinder eggs and 50 rounds of ammunition from three separate travelers. The alcohol and Kinder eggs were destroyed and the ammo turned over to Dover AFB officials.
The Port of Wilmington employs two dozen officers and specialists who inspect ships and aircraft arriving from overseas ports. They report to the Area Port of Philadelphia. During fiscal year 2008, which ended on Sept. 30, the Port of Wilmington processed more than 16,000 passengers and crew who arrived aboard more than 1,200 aircraft and vessels, submitted more than 300 insect pests to USDA for identification and made five fugitive arrests on outstanding warrants.
“Bad actors tend to probe our nation’s border security perimeter and it is our responsibility to help protect American citizens, agriculture and economy in the Delaware Valley region by intercepting these threats at our port of entry,” said Rick Sheckells, CBP Port Director for the Port of Wilmington.
