Authorities say that as American eggs flourish in the United States, more and more people are trying to bring eggs to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Eggs disappeared from store shelves as bird flu outbreaks caused a decline in flock population. More and more people suddenly cross the border to buy eggs.

Eggs confiscated at ports of entry were up 29% compared to the same period last year, between October and February 2024.

"It's common to do some groceries or cross the border," Joaquin Luken, executive director of the Smart Border Alliance, told NBC San Diego that people may not realize that raw eggs are on the banned list, he said.

But he advises anyone with eggs to announce them at the border. The eggs will remain on the agent, but he said shoppers are more likely to be warned rather than fined.

"Importing raw eggs from Mexico to the United States from Mexico () is often banned due to concerns about diseases such as highly pathogenic avian flu and intense Newcastle disease," a statement from the CBP said.

Travelers are prohibited from bringing eggs, raw chickens and live birds into the United States from Mexico, the statement said. They should also announce all agricultural products to CBP officials and agricultural experts, or face potential fines.

The CBP said that civil penalties for failing to announce prohibited agricultural products could "for non-commercial quantities, the range of up to $1,000 per offense."

Sidney K. Aki, director of field operations at San Diego for Customs and Border Protection, wrote in an article on X on January 15 that the eggs were intercepted in the entry mouth.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price of twelve eggs nationwide rose last year, with a maximum price of $4.95 in January.

The rise in egg prices is attributed to the epidemic where avian flu can run out of chickens. In December alone, the epidemic caused more than 21 million chickens and 13 million chickens to die.

According to the USDA, the population of conventional cage flocks has been depleted by 8%.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 68 confirmed cases of influenza and 1 death in the United States.