Bologna Is The New Pot In El Paso

The times, as the song goes, are a changin'. For smugglers in El Paso, the contraband is a changin' too with new stuff crossing the border these days.

With the recent legalization of marijuana in nearby New Mexico, I guess illegal pot dealers in the El Paso area are having to get creative to make a buck. A man was just busted, for the second time, smuggling illegal bologna into the USA.

Remember, orange is the new black? Cold cuts and eggs are the new contraband ...

This most recent seizure happened at the Paso Del Norte bridge when a man was caught with 242 pounds of illegal bologna and a bunch of illegal prescription pills. He was fined $1,000 and, depending on how his trial goes, he could have to pay another $10K.

There are a couple of reasons bologna smuggling is happening. One is that Mexican bologna has a very distinctive flavor, different than what you get over here in the USA which makes it popular. The bigger reason, as usual, is the money.

$15 worth of Mexican bologna, once smuggled into the USA, can sell for up to $120. Eggs have gotten really expensive here too which is why they are also being smuggled more and more. Smugglers find some weird places to hide stuff too.

Since El Pasoans are buying, (almost all the) pot in Sunland Park, I understand the dealers needing to branch out. Bologna, eggs, prescription drugs; I get it. Some of the other stuff people try and smuggle into the USA though, honestly ... WTF?