Bologna Smuggling: Why Deli Meat Is Trafficked Across The US Border

The word "smuggling" is more often associated with drugs or money, and it might be difficult to picture food smuggling. But in September 2024, a woman was caught smuggling 748 pounds of bologna (that's a lot of bologna) following an inspection at the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas, according to the Austin-American Statesman. This is not an isolated incident. Deli meat trafficking is a fairly regular occurrence, and similar incidents are reported along the U.S. border every year. Mexican bologna tends to be trafficked as luggage in suitcases, and authorities have even found the meat stuffed inside car seats and spare tires. 

Bologna is derived from mortadella, an ancient type of Italian sausage, and originally hails from the city of Bologna. Today, it is produced by countries across the world, including the U.S. and Mexico. Though it is a widely mocked dish in the country and only about 35% of Americans are familiar with the deli meat, according to the South Florida Reporter, Americans eat around 800 million pounds of bologna every year.

But if bologna is so common and is widely enjoyed in both the U.S. and Mexico, why is deli meat trafficking even a problem? This is because bringing meat products from other countries into the United States is not allowed — it's why the TSA cracks down on bringing food into the country from abroad. Mexican bologna in particular is a prohibited product. According to Texas Monthly, the U.S. Department of Agriculture believes these plastic-wrapped sausages, popularly known as chubs, could introduce foreign animal diseases, like foot-and-mouth disease or African swine fever, affecting the country's pork industry and in turn its economy and agricultural stability. Those caught smuggling the meat across the border face fines of $1,000 or more. Yet Mexican bologna continues to be illegally smuggled into the country and even sold on platforms like Facebook and Craigslist.

The distinctive porky taste of Mexican bologna is a key reason for its popularity in the U.S. According to the University of Wyoming, American bologna is mostly made with a blend of chicken, pork, and beef that are deemed acceptable by USDA. But much like the traditional mortadella, which is only made with pork, Mexican bologna is pork-heavy. It has garnered a loyal following in the U.S., particularly among those who long for the once-readily available deli meat. To add to it, there is a high profit margin on smuggled bologna, even though the bologna legally available in America is so cheap. 

For instance, according to Texas Monthly, the most popular brand of Mexican bologna, Chimex, costs less than $15 for a single roll of chubs in Mexico but can fetch up to $120 once it crosses the border. So while some smuggle it for personal consumption, larger quantities of Mexican bologna are also tucked away in cars and trucks for resale.

While a mix of cravings and, at times, nostalgia as well as a way to make profit in the black market are the primary catalysts behind the smuggling of the beloved deli meat, trafficking food comes with serious risks. Despite these concerns, the demand for it seems to keep growing, proving that food has a unique way of crossing borders — both literally and emotionally and more often than not, with a bit of trouble.