Customs and Border Patrol officers inspect 1,000 bags per hour at New York City's John F. Kennedy Airport for illegal goods.
Specialists and officers stop illegal drugs from entering the United States. They also stop illicit food that could spread pests or diseases.
Illegal items can be destroyed or incinerated once they have been taken.
The Beagle Brigade dogs are trained in passive response to detect drugs and other dangerous items.
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Below is the transcript of the video.
Narrator: Every day, approximately 43,000 international tourists fly into New York's John F. Kennedy Airport. It is the largest US international airport of entry based on passenger volume. This is almost 1000 bags per hour in Terminal 4. There's quite a bit of stuff in these suitcases. Some of it isn't allowed into this country. What happens to all the confiscated items?
It was much easier to get something into the US if you flew into JFK in 1990s. After 9/11, there was a discussion about how to protect the country against dangerous food, drugs, or people. The US Customs and Border Protection was created.
There will be two types of CBP officers at airports. One is Steve the officer and one is Ginger the agriculture specialist. They are responsible for destroying millions of items that don't belong here each year. It's a huge job and sometimes requires a sidekick.
Steve Robinson: This Is Canine Spike. Spike, look at him. He is an 8 year old Belgian Malinois. Since day one, I have been his sole handler. He has been trained in narcotics. Over 400 seizures were likely seized during our careers.
Narrator: CBP officers like Steve identify high risk individuals who are trying to enter the US. They also look for drugs and guns. Because these situations are so important, Spike's dog is trained in a "passive response" method. This means that if Spike sniffs out drugs, he doesn't scratch, he doesn't bark and they don’t make a scene. They just sit. If they are right, the dog is rewarded.
Robinson: This toy is his reward. He likes to play so. Isn't that true? You love to play! You love to play! Yes you do! Yes you do! Let me see it! Let me see it! We've had 16 moments of pure joy at the port recently.
Narrator: Then, the drugs are seized and sent for incineration. As a matter national security, the location of the incinerator is kept secret. While most people know that drugs are not allowed to cross the US border, JFK doesn't often seized drugs. Food is.
Regular travelers must declare all food they bring into the US when they arrive. If they fail to do so, they could face a $1,000 fine. Agents won't take these items if they want to eat your delicious Spanish ham or Caribbean mangos. Agents are responsible for protecting American agriculture against foreign pests and diseases that could threaten our crops or livestock. Ginger, an agricultural specialist, is here to help.
Ginger Perrone: To protect against this pest risk, everything is destroyed. We protect the country's agricultural interests. We are protecting against bioterrorism. This is where someone might intentionally bring in items that could cause havoc in the country.
Narrator: Before, foreign bugs that travel in suitcases have caused havoc in the US. The Asian citrus psyllid caused $2.9 billion in losses for Florida's grapefruit and orange growers between 2007 and 2014. The Asian longhorned insect has decimated hardwood trees since it was introduced to the US in 1990. Between 1997 and 2010, the cost of eradicating this pest was more than $373 millions.
James Armstrong: We go to the grocery store in our country and the food is always there. It doesn't require us to check for any disease or holes. It looks amazing, so we start to get spoiled and don't understand how important it is to protect it.
Narrator: It is crucial that every single stowaway orange be found and taken into custody. It can be difficult to go through all those bags with the 34 million international passengers who travel annually from JFK. That's for humans. They have a little help from The Beagle Brigade.
Biscuit is the four-legged officer. Like Spike, Biscuit has been trained in passive reaction. Biscuit is trained to detect drugs and food.
Sal DiSpigna says they actually learn. They begin with five target odors and over time, they'll grow and eventually retire with 150.
Narrator: Biscuit is quite good at sniffing. This beagle has an accuracy rate of 90%.
Armstrong: It's amazing to see your dog eat three grapes from a Samsonite hardside bag. Scientists claim their noses are 1,000 times more powerful than ours. They prove it every day.
Narrator: After Biscuit has found an item, the passenger and their bags are taken to Ginger. Ginger will then X-ray the luggage and search it.
Perrone: These are your bags, right?
Man: Yes.
Perrone: Okay, did you pack everything yourself?
What is man?
Perrone: Did you pack your own bags?
Man: We packed both.
Perrone OK.
Narrator: Ginger opens the bag and inspects each item by hand. Ginger will seize any items that aren't allowed and place them in temporary bins.
Perrone: This grape is very common in that region. Grape leaves can be found once you have opened it all. These are horse-meat sausages. Another good example of what we receive frequently, especially in springtime is this: They're planning to bring here a plant they want to grow. Anything for propagation requires additional entry requirements. This is the equivalent of two families flying one flight.
Narrator: JFK can dispose of contraband food either in a grinder or incinerator. Ginger will bag the items seized and label them according to their destination.
Perrone: We're going to walk this bin, full of passengers, down to the contraband room.
Narrator: This room is where illegal food ends.
Perrone: This machine is used for grinding. This is the machine we use to grind fruits, vegetables, and other commodities. It's also known as the "Muffin Monster."
Narrator: Ginger must first cut open the fruit, then squishes and inspects it. She is looking for signs of disease, entry points for insects and exit points to larvae. She will neutralize the pest risk if she finds this little bug and forward it to the US Department of Agriculture.
It's back to Muffin Monster. Each day, 120 pounds of food arrive from international passengers. The most popular fruits that go into the grinder are citrus, avocados, and mangos.
Perrone: We do get messy. It is important to properly dispose of it. I love to eat as much as everyone else. I love food. However, I am aware of the importance of disposing of what was seized because of known risks in order to avoid it causing any problems.
Narrator: Next time you find an orange in your bag, declare it and let Ginger, an expert on luggage laws, decide if it is admissible. Leave the serrano cheese in Spain. Biscuit will find it.
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: This video was first published July 2019.
