Human Smugglers Use Lemon Pepper Seasoning To Throw Off Service Dog's Ability To Smell

CBS Dallas/Fort Worth

August 26, 2021

Laredo Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the I-35 checkpoint successfully disrupted a human smuggling attempt using lemon pepper seasoning and shipping crates to hinder the service canine’s ability to detect any human scent.

This is a continuing trend seen at immigration checkpoints, according to U.S. Customs & Border Protection. The wooden shipping crates were used to conceal undocumented individuals inside a tractor trailer. The added danger is that individuals are crammed inside confined spaces with little to no ventilation. They will generally have no means of escape even when temperatures exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit, leaving them at the mercy of criminal smugglers, according to the agency.

Undocumented individuals face treacherous journeys as they try to enter and travel through America undetected.

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