U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists intercepted a potentially damaging pest Thursday afternoon at the El Paso port of entry Thursday, September 17.

While inspecting a shipment of pallets being imported from Mexico, the officials discovered the living pupa of a wood-boring insect. "This tiny pest could be harmful to our forests," said Ana Hinojosa of the CBP.

Officials discovered this pupa at the Bridge of the Americas commercial cargo lot Thursday afternoon when they were inspecting a shipment of wooden pallets.

According to the officials, the pest was found in a reconditioned pallet that had not been properly treated for importation into the U.S. They sent the entire shipment back to Mexico for treatment.

CBP requires all wood packing materials, such as pallets, crates, boxes, and pieces of wood used to support and brace cargo, to be free of timber pests prior to entering the United States. Any materials that violate this rule are returned to its country of origin.