Description
Inspect travelers, baggage, cargo, and conveyances at ports of entry to prevent the introduction of harmful plant and animal pests and diseases, enforcing U.S. agricultural quarantine and customs laws.
- • Review phytosanitary certificates, import permits, manifests, and travel documents; interview travelers and importers to assess agricultural risk and admissibility.
- • Detain, quarantine, or refuse entry of prohibited or contaminated plant and animal materials; order treatment, re-export, or destruction and issue penalties when warranted.
- • Locate and seize prohibited or smuggled agricultural products, soil, and infested commodities; place holds on containers, vehicles, and aircraft.
- • Explain USDA-APHIS and CBP agriculture regulations, permit requirements, and compliance steps to travelers, brokers, and carriers.
- • Inspect baggage, mail, cargo, and conveyances using visual examination, X-ray, and detector canines to prevent entry of pests and diseases.
- • Record and report inspections, pest interceptions, treatments, seizures, and enforcement actions in agency systems.
- • Initiate civil enforcement actions and collaborate with CBP, USDA, and other agencies on agriculture smuggling investigations.
- • Provide expert testimony or written findings on admissibility decisions and pest identifications in hearings or court.
- • Determine admissibility, quarantine status, and required permits or treatments for agricultural commodities.
- • Collect and submit biological samples and suspect pests for laboratory identification and diagnostics.
- • Review petitions for mitigation, reconditioning, or remission related to agriculture seizures, holds, or penalties.
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
