Egg smuggling is becoming a major problem at the border as domestic prices rise.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said that since January, agriculture specialists in El Paso have encountered close to 100 people attempting to smuggle eggs into the US from Mexico.
“Travelers need to be aware that raw egg imports from Mexico are prohibited,” the CBP said in a statement, which also highlighted concerns about the transmission of avian flu.
A rise in egg smuggling has been noted elsewhere along the border. CBP’s San Diego office issued a similar statement in January, reminding travellers that they could be fined up to $10,000 for bringing raw eggs from Mexico into California.
The importation of live poultry and raw eggs from 17 parts of Canada has also been restricted over concerns about avian flu. Canada has placed similar restrictions on imports from half of all US states.
On Friday, the average price for a dozen large white eggs was $8.07, up more than 30 cents from just a week earlier.
Federal officials have warned that hoarding eggs drives prices up by reducing stock.
Prices have been driven up largely because of desperate attempts to prevent the spread of avian flu, which have seen over 25 million egg-laying hens culled across the US in 2025 alone. The American Farm Bureau Federation puts the total number of hens culled at 43 million this year.