How Illegal Items Are Found And Destroyed At JFK Airport - Summary

Summary

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**Title:** Confiscations at JFK Airport: Protecting US Borders and Agriculture

**Key Points:**

1. **Daily Operations**: Approximately 43,000 international travelers arrive at JFK Airport daily, with around 1,000 bags per hour in Terminal 4 alone.
2. **Confiscated Items**:
* 120 pounds of food per day (most common seizure)
* Narcotics (e.g., 16 keys of ecstasy recently seized)
3. **Protection Efforts**:
* US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and agricultural specialists work to prevent entry of prohibited items.
* Trained canines (e.g., Spike for narcotics, Biscuit for food) assist with detections using "passive response" techniques.
4. **Agricultural Protection**:
* Goal: Prevent foreign pests and diseases from affecting US livestock and crops.
* Examples of past damage: Asian citrus psyllid ($2.9B loss in Florida, 2007-2014), Asian longhorned beetle ($373M eradication effort, 1997-2010).
5. **Disposal of Contraband**:
* Food: Grinding machine ("Muffin Monster") or incineration, with inspection for diseases and pests before disposal.

Facts

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1. **43,000 international travelers** fly into New York's John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) every day.
2. **JFK is the US's largest international airport of entry** by passenger volume.
3. **Terminal 4 handles almost 1,000 bags per hour**.
4. **120 pounds of food are confiscated daily** at JFK.
5. **US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) was formed after 9/11** to protect the country from dangerous foods, drugs, and people.
6. **Two types of CBP officials are typically seen at airports:**
* Officers (e.g., Steve)
* Agriculture specialists (e.g., Ginger)
7. **CBP officials seize and destroy millions of items annually** that don't belong in the US.
8. **Dogs like Canine Spike are trained in "passive response"** to detect narcotics without making a scene.
9. **The incinerator's location for narcotics is kept secret** for national security reasons.
10. **Food is the most commonly seized item at JFK**, not drugs.
11. **Travelers must declare food items upon US entry**, with a $1,000 fine for the first offense if not declared.
12. **CBP protects American agriculture from foreign pests and diseases**.
13. **The Asian citrus psyllid caused $2.9 billion in losses for Florida's orange and grapefruit growers (2007-2014)**.
14. **The Asian longhorned beetle has ravaged US hardwood trees since the '90s**, with eradication efforts costing over $373 million (1997-2010).
15. **Beagles like Biscuit are trained to sniff out food** with an estimated 90% accuracy rate.
16. **Dogs' noses are 1,000 times stronger than humans'**.
17. **Seized food at JFK is disposed of through:**
* The grinder ("Muffin Monster")
* The incinerator
18. **Inspectors check seized food for diseases, insect insertion points, and larvae exit points** before disposal.
19. **120 pounds of food are grinded up daily** at JFK.
20. **Avocados, mangos, and citrus are among the most common fruits to end up in the grinder**.