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Applying for SENTRI, had pork on my pizza confiscated recently

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Applying for SENTRI, had pork on my pizza confiscated recently

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Old Jul 2, 2019, 6:41 pm
  #1  
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Applying for SENTRI, had pork on my pizza confiscated recently

I'm a frequent visitor to Tijuana and I was thinking about applying for SENTRI. A couple weeks ago, I had my warm pizza confiscated by the CBP and was given a stern warning.

No fine was levied, they took it away from me (and probably ate it too).

Fortunately, I wasn't a SENTRI that time but thought about applying for it since the border wait is getting too long.

Since I have a recent warning, would that make me ineligible for SENTRI? No paper citations or anything were given to me.
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Old Jul 2, 2019, 7:54 pm
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Take a look at this thread:
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Old Jul 3, 2019, 9:16 am
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I looked into that but I believe flying in and not declaring it would be a more severe violation than driving through the border where there are no forms to fill and I said yes I had food. Was immediately sent to secondary and confiscated the chorizo. Still, the CBP said this would be a warning. Not like I had a chance to say yes. Since there were no forms, would this warning appear on my record?
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Old Jul 3, 2019, 10:05 am
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You declared the food (you did not make that clear in your original post). That's all that is required. It is up for the CBP officer or the agricultural inspector to determine whether that food is permitted to be brought into the US. There was no customs violation. If I were in your shoes, I'd be honest and explain it on the application and/or if asked during the enrollment interview.
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Last edited by TWA884; Jul 3, 2019 at 10:24 am Reason: double word
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Old Jul 3, 2019, 1:38 pm
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Originally Posted by Wiggums
I looked into that but I believe flying in and not declaring it would be a more severe violation than driving through the border where there are no forms to fill and I said yes I had food. Was immediately sent to secondary and confiscated the chorizo. Still, the CBP said this would be a warning. Not like I had a chance to say yes. Since there were no forms, would this warning appear on my record?
With you having declared it and surrendered it without issue, it shouldn’t; and thus it shouldn’t cause you future problems. While it’s possible that things appear in a record that shouldn’t be there, I would find it to be more the exception than the norm.

While I’ve never been subject to “warning” words from CBP at land and air ports of entry, I do often declare food (and I do so by listing the foods verbally before or upon CBP inquiry asking about what kind of food). And upon that declaration to CBP, I am sometimes directed to secondary where I am sometimes surrendering food I declared to CBP at primary and again at secondary.

CBP — or at least the Ag part — seem to prefer that I get rid of the restricted food on the plane or before arrival by car, but I’ve not noticed any problems with my trusted traveler program memberships arising from declaring food that got surrendered as and where it is acceptable to do so.
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Old Jul 3, 2019, 3:42 pm
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I didn't declare the food, there was no way to make the declaration. There are no declaration lanes. That was why I asked. I didn't conceal it and never filled out a form. Even had it in plain view in the back seat. It was to be heated again when I got home. I love chorizo pizza.

At the checkpoint, I said I had food. She referred me to secondary and they took the chorizo pizza from me. She said I could have been fined but didn't yell at me or anything.

Her mention of the fine made me wonder if the warning's on record.
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Old Jul 3, 2019, 3:55 pm
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When you told the CBP Officer at the checkpoint that you had food, that was your declaration.
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Old Jul 3, 2019, 7:42 pm
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Originally Posted by TWA884
When you told the CBP Officer at the checkpoint that you had food, that was your declaration.
OK, I hope that does it.
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Old Jul 5, 2019, 7:03 am
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Originally Posted by Wiggums
No fine was levied, they took it away from me (and probably ate it too).
All food confiscated by CBP is destroyed and/or incinerated.
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