PPQ employees x-ray hundreds of thousands of 
suitcases annually, looking for prohibited fruits, 
vegetables, and meat. 
Endangered Species Act that 
forbid the import or export of 
endangered plant species. PPQ 
officers at ports of entry are trained 
to identify these plant species and 
take appropriate action. 
PPQ officers also inspect and 
sample seed imported from foreign 
countries to ensure that it is 
accurately labeled and free of 
noxious weeds. International 
garbage and ship and airline 
stores must be inspected as well 
to ensure that they are treated with 
special care and according to 
regulations so no plant or animal 
pests and diseases accidentally 
enter the United States. PPQ also 
inspects and supervises the 
cleaning of all military equipment 
and troop supplies when the U.S. 
military returns from missions out 
of the country. (The household 
goods of military and civilian 
personnel moving back stateside 
are also subject to inspection.) 
All prohibited items seized from 
inspections are examined, 
rendered harmless, and disposed 
of in an incinerator or grinder. 
Large shipments of agricultural 
goods found to be ineligible for 
entry may be subject to treatment 
or returned to the country of origin. 
At large airports like John F. 
Kennedy International Airport in 
New York, seaports like Miami, 
and land-border ports like San 
Ysidro, CA, PPQ operates around 
the clock. Congress has autho- 
rized PPQ to collect user fees to 
cover the costs of providing certain 
services under the AQI program. 
There are civil penalties for 
intentionally misleading an 
inspector or being caught smug- 
gling prohibited agricultural goods. 
