A Crime of Passion for Cheese Just Happened at the U.S. Border

U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted 50 wheels of cheese.

I have a pretty extensive list of crimes I'm most liable to commit. The first 10 are all maritime laws, as I grew up really wanting to be a pirate. After that, cheese-related crimes are definitely probable. So I feel for an unnamed woman from Albuquerque who was stopped by Border Patrol when she attempted to re-enter the US with 60 wheels of cheese.

At the border, she only declared 10 wheels of cheese, but there were reportedly an additional 50 wheels of cheese covered by a blanket in her back seat. The press release from the agency didn't determine exactly what type of cheese it was, but based on my basic knowledge of the product, it looked like Queso Fresco.

Courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection

"Travelers can import cheese commensurate with personal consumption levels," said CBP El Paso Port Director Ray Provencio in a press release. "A few wheels would generally be fine but not 60. It was undeclared, and that amount would be a commercial quantity, and additional reporting requirements would apply."

She was given a $1,000 civil fine and allowed to carry on without her cheese, as the FDA must permit milk and cheese products to cross borders.

I hope the lady who lost those 50 wheels of cheese and everyone who was expecting that delivery still gets their dairy needs met.

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Opheli Garcia Lawler is a Staff Writer on the News team at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter @opheligarcia and Instagram @opheligarcia.