Border Seizures Raise Questions: Are Smuggled Eggs in WA and OR?

As egg prices continue to rise in Washington and Oregon, border patrol agents are discovering that people are trying to smuggle eggs into the USA. KVIA reports that sixteen people were busted trying to smuggle in eggs last week.

Average Prices of Eggs in Oregon and Washington

I went to buy some eggs at the grocery store in Washington, yesterday and it was $7.99 for a carton of 12 cage-free eggs. I noticed that the 24-pack of eggs were going for as high as twelve dollars.

A carton of Lucerne Eggs at the Albertson's in Oregon City are currently $8.49 each.

Savvy shoppers are finding cheaper eggs at stores like New Season Market in Portland for $5.99 each.

Bringing Fresh Eggs Across the Border Is Illegal in the United States

Border Report mentions there have been at least 90 people who have been caught bringing Mexican bootleg eggs into America. This is a shocking trend; however, it's not really a surprise that eggs have reached the black market due to the rising price of eggs resulting from the latest bird flu outbreak.

The reasons raw eggs from other countries are prohibited to enter America include poultry diseases like bird flu and Virulent Newcastle Disease, as MSN details from a recent Customs Border Patrol report on the egg smuggling subject.

So far, no smuggled eggs have reached Washington or Oregon. Other than buying your own chicken and starting a coop in your backyard, you can be on the lookout for cheaper eggs by shopping at small Mom & Pop grocery stores in your neighborhood. They often get eggs directly from local farmers.

SEE ALSO: 2 Oregon Cats Got Bird Flu Poisoning from Washington State Pet Food