Customs Officer Reveals 11 Items That Will Get You Detained at the Border—Even Though They Seem Harmless

You know that feeling. You step off the international flight, tired but relieved, and you just want to get home. You’ve got your duty-free cologne, maybe some local spice blend, and that little souvenir you picked up. You’ve successfully navigated the whole trip.

But then, you hit Customs.

Look, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers aren’t just looking for drug mules and illegal firearms. Honestly, their biggest job is acting as the nation’s first line of defense for public health, American agriculture, and consumer safety. They enforce the rules of over 40 different government agencies—the USDA, the FDA, the DEA, you name it—all working together.

This is why crossing the border can feel like navigating a minefield, even when you swear you have nothing to hide.

The real trap, the one that can cost you thousands of dollars, isn’t whether the item is allowed. It’s the failure to declare it. If you declare something restricted, they take it, and you walk away. If they find an undeclared, prohibited item? The civil penalties start stacking up fast, easily hitting $10,000 for agriculture violations or even soaring past $17,000 for concealed medications .

Here’s a look at 11 seemingly innocent items that officers routinely confiscate, detain, or fine travelers over, and what you absolutely need to know to avoid that dreaded secondary inspection room.

The Biosecurity Triple Threat (The Food and Dirt Traps)

This is where travelers get burned most often. We often think, “It’s just food, it’s processed,” or “It’s just dirt.” But to a CBP Agriculture Specialist (CBPAS), these items are vectors for devastating foreign diseases that could wipe out U.S. livestock or crops.

1. That Last Piece of Souvenir Fruit (Fresh Produce)

Maybe you grabbed a banana for the flight home, or a single apple as a snack. Seems harmless, right? Wrong.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are among the most restricted items because they carry a high risk of invasive pests and diseases. The risk is so high that even when flying from U.S. territories—like Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands—to the mainland, you’re usually banned from taking most fresh produce with you.

Just look at the numbers: CBPAS intercepted approximately 289,855 prohibited agricultural items from passengers leaving Hawaii and Puerto Rico alone in fiscal year 2024. If you fail to declare that single forbidden piece of fruit, you’re looking at an administrative seizure and a minimum civil penalty of $300.

2. Meats in Any Form (Even That Dried Jerky or Salami)

My friend, processing doesn’t always mean safety. That shelf-stable Italian salami or that bag of exotic jerky you bought at a local market abroad is a massive biosecurity risk. Why? Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD).

FMD, Avian Influenza, and African Swine Fever are catastrophic animal diseases that can survive on dried or cured products. Most meats and meat products from countries with active FMD outbreaks or uncertified regions are strictly prohibited. And look, don’t even try bringing in bushmeat—that’s completely forbidden due to serious zoonotic disease risks.

If that dried sausage is discovered and you didn’t declare it? It’s gone, and you’re exposed to potential fines up to $10,000.

3. The Soil on Your Hiking Boots (Unknowingly Contaminated Gear)

This is the sneaky one. You’ve been hiking, gardening, or visiting a charming farm abroad. You clean off your boots, maybe not perfectly, but well enough. You pack them.

Soil and earth of any kind are strictly banned without an advance permit . Why? Soil-borne organisms threaten both plant and animal life. If you mark “Yes” on the CBP Declaration Form 6059B saying you’ve been near livestock or a farm , a specialist might inspect your boots and clothing and disinfect them for free.⁹ If you mark “No” to conceal that fact and they find a clump of dirt in your bag or on your shoe tread, you’ve just committed an undeclared agricultural violation. This small bit of dirt suddenly makes you a high-risk traveler.

4. Pet Food and Specialized Animal Products

You might think, “It’s commercial, it’s sealed, it’s fine.” But imported animal food is regulated under the Bioterrorism Act . This means the foreign manufacturing facility has to be registered with the FDA, and “prior notice” has to be given before it arrives.

For personal travelers, the restrictions often revolve around the type and origin. If you’re flying from Canada by air, for instance, you’re limited to a maximum of 20 pounds of certain pet food per family . If the pet food contains restricted meat or dairy (like if it came from the EU to the U.K., as a temporary restriction example ), it could be seized and destroyed at the U.S. border.

Crossing the Pharmaceutical Minefield (Meds and Supplements)

This is the most financially treacherous area. When you carry medications, you are simultaneously dealing with the FDA, which controls approval and safety, and the DEA, which controls controlled substances.

5. Your Favorite Foreign Prescription Drug (The Unapproved Variant)

Listen to this, because it catches almost everyone: It is generally illegal for U.S. citizens to import prescription drugs from abroad for personal use . Even if the drug is a foreign-made version of something FDA-approved, the FDA considers it an “unapproved new drug” because they can’t verify its safety, quality control, or effectiveness outside legal U.S. channels.

When officials did a spot check on imported prescription drug packages, they found a shocking 88% of the drugs were not approved for U.S. use. That’s the refusal rate you’re facing. The FDA will allow foreign nationals visiting the U.S. to bring a maximum 90-day supply with a doctor’s letter and prescription , but for U.S. citizens? You face a nearly insurmountable legal hurdle unless you can prove there’s no effective domestic treatment.

6. High-Quantity or Undeclared Controlled Substance Medications

If the pills you’re carrying are Controlled Substances (CSA), the DEA is involved, and the penalties become terrifying. This includes common medications like Adderall, Ambien (Zolpidem), Valium (Diazepam), and certain painkillers .

The rules are strict: carry them in the original container, have a valid prescription, and possess a doctor’s statement. But here’s the trigger for the huge fines: quantity and concealment. If you carry more than what’s needed for your trip, or if you hide the pills in a purse or a secondary container, the agent interprets that as intent to smuggle or commercialize.

How bad can it get? CBP has documented incidents where failure to declare controlled substances led to combined civil penalties approaching $17,000 . In one specific case, a traveler was penalized $11,780 for concealing 984 pills of undeclared medication. That heavy fine is designed to deter evasion.

7. High-Dosage Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) Supplements

Here’s a complex border trap. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is sold over the counter as a supplement here in the U.S. and is exempt from the U.S. Controlled Substances Act.

But, and this is the crucial distinction, in almost every other country in the world, DHEA is explicitly classified and treated as a controlled anabolic steroid . It’s banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) . So, while it’s legal for you to buy here, the regulatory conflict means that if you try to bring a large quantity of a foreign-labeled version back in, or if the labeling is flagged, it can lead to seizure and scrutiny under FDA rules.

8. Unlabeled Herbal Powders or Traditional Remedies

I get it: you bought a traditional remedy that’s “all-natural” and has been used for generations. It must be fine, right? Unfortunately, that’s a dangerous misconception.

Foreign herbal remedies are frequently seized because they present a dual risk:

1. Misbranding: They may make unproven or unsupported health claims.
2. Adulteration: They are often found to contain undeclared, highly potent pharmaceutical ingredients, like active steroids, tranquilizers, or generic Viagra analogs (sildenafil).

These hidden ingredients can cause severe health risks and immediately transform the item into an illegal, unapproved drug under U.S. law. If the agent can’t verify the ingredients on the spot, they must treat the product as a high-risk unknown substance, leading to seizure.

The Innocuous Consumer Traps (Kids and Carry-ons

9. The European Chocolate Egg with a Toy Inside (Kinder Surprise)

This one is absurd, but absolutely true: the classic Kinder Surprise egg, beloved worldwide, is strictly banned in the U.S.

The ban dates back to the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), which prohibits any confectionery item containing a “non-nutritive object” embedded within it . That little plastic capsule holding the toy inside the chocolate is considered a choking hazard under U.S. law. Yes, the manufacturer created the Kinder Joy (where the toy is separate), but if you bring the classic egg, it will be seized and destroyed at the border.

10. Counterfeit Children’s Toys with Toxic Materials

You bought a few cheap, fun toys for the kids at a foreign market. A great souvenir! But this is another area CBP takes deadly seriously.

CBP officers routinely intercept shipments of children’s toys that violate federal safety requirements, which is a Priority Trade Issue for them. These seizures often involve mechanical hazards (toys that break and create sharp points) or, worse, chemical hazards (toys containing restricted, toxic materials). In fiscal year 2020, CBP seized 9,382 products posing health and safety risks, valued at over $21.6 million. If your souvenir toy is counterfeit or was manufactured without regulation, it will be confiscated because it poses a direct risk of laceration or toxic ingestion.

11. Liquid/Creamy Dips and Canned Foods (Over 3.4 oz in Carry-on)

We know the TSA’s 3-1-1 rule: liquids, gels, and aerosols must be 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less. But this applies to a lot of foods you might not think of as liquids.

Creamy dips, spreads, liquid honey, or even canned goods containing significant liquid, like a foreign pâté or jam jar, are all subject to the 3.4-ounce limit in your carry-on.

What makes them a problem beyond the size limit? X-ray clutter. Dense items like canned foods or thick gels obstruct the clear image of your bag’s contents on the X-ray screen. When this happens, TSA/CBP officers have to stop the line, pull your bag for additional screening, and if the container is over the limit, it’s immediately disposed of. It’s a guaranteed delay and loss of property.

The Declaration Imperative: Your Only Legal Shield

So, how do you protect yourself? This entire, complicated system boils down to one simple, non-negotiable principle: transparency.

The immense fines are levied not for possession, but for the intentional act of non-declaration.

If you declare a prohibited item (by checking “Yes” on the form or verbally telling the officer), it will be seized and destroyed, and you walk away with no fine . If you conceal it, and it’s found, you are considered a high-risk violator and the penalty process begins.

That’s the difference between losing a $5 item and losing $10,000.

Violation Scenario	Consequence	Financial Penalty	Other Risk
Declared Prohibited Agriculture (e.g., Apple)	Item Confiscated & Destroyed	$0 Fine	None
Undeclared Prohibited Agriculture (e.g., Apple)	Item Confiscated & Detention	Starts at $300 (First Offense)	Loss of Global Entry/Trusted Traveler Status
Undeclared High-Risk Food/Agriculture	Item Confiscated & Detention	Up to $10,000	Loss of Global Entry/Trusted Traveler Status
Undeclared/Concealed Controlled Substance (DEA/FDA)	Confiscation, Detention, Interrogation	Up to 3x Value; Documented Fines near $17,000	Potential Criminal Referrals/Detention

Your Actionable Travel Checklist:

1. If in doubt, declare it. Always check “Yes” on Question 11 of the CBP form. Let the officer tell you “no,” don’t try to decide yourself .
2. Original Packaging: All medications (Rx and OTC) must be in their original containers with your name clearly visible. Don’t combine pills into one bottle.
3. Quantity Check: Only carry the amount of medication necessary for your trip—ideally a 90-day supply max for an extended stay . Anything more suggests commercial intent.
4. Clean Your Gear: If you visited a farm or went hiking, thoroughly scrub or disinfect your shoes, clothing, and gear to remove all soil and organic matter .
5. Check-In Liquids: If a food liquid, gel, paste, or dip is over 3.4 ounces (like a full jar of jam or a can of soup), put it in your checked luggage, or you will lose it at the security checkpoint.

Travel should be exciting, not stressful. By simply prioritizing transparency and respecting the complexity of border regulations, you ensure that the only souvenir you bring home is your luggage—not a five-figure fine.

Need More Help For Seamless Travel? Look Into These Essential Organizers

1. High-Capacity Family Travel Document Organizer (RFID Blocking)

Ideal for couples or families managing group logistics, this organizer offers dedicated, secure slots for multiple passports, IDs, credit cards, and critical printouts (like visa confirmation pages). Its comprehensive zip-around design and integrated RFID blocking provide a consolidated, secure command center for all identity and financial needs, substantially minimizing the risk of lost documents during busy check-ins.

2. Modular AM/PM Daily Pill Organizer System

Designed for travelers managing complex, time-sensitive dosing schedules, this product features clearly labeled, removable compartments for morning and evening medications across a full week. Its transparent, segregated design satisfies customs requirements by allowing visual inspection, thereby ensuring both regulatory compliance and strict medical adherence, preventing dangerous dosing errors while traveling internationally.   

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5. Reusable, Clear Plastic Medication Pouches (Pack of 50)

For travelers prioritizing flexibility, customization, and minimum bulk, these durable, clear plastic pouches offer a highly modular solution. They are excellent for pre-packing individual daily doses, facilitating quick visual inspection by security, and are easily stored within a medical kit or suitcase. They provide a superior, lightweight alternative to rigid organizers for short trips or daily excursions where space is limited.