Is this bananas?
A simple travel mistake will likely cost one man a lot.
Dylan O’Byrne, a New Jersey native who resides in Nashville, was returning from a trip in Southeast Asia when he accidentally skirted customs regulations by bringing in an unsuspecting — yet prohibited — item.
His flight from Singapore landed at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, where he went through customs and was asked if he had any items to declare. At the time, he said “no.”
“I never buy anything on trips — maybe like a trinket or two for friends but not anything I would need to declare — and we go on through,” he said in a viral TikTok video with over 828,000 views.
Then, they went to baggage claim. O’Byrne and his parents were “tired” and thrilled to be back in the States, only to be stopped by Border Patrol agents while trying to call an Uber.
O’Byrne recalled the police dogs sniffing around his luggage and the officers asking if he brought back anything “prohibited.” After the family’s adamant denial, the dog sat next to O’Byrne’s bag.
“I’m like, ‘What could this dog have possibly found?’” he said.
“A banana.”
The officer didn’t need to search hard for the smuggled fruit — it was sitting right on top of O’Byrne’s bag. He forgot that he snagged the banana in the airport lounge during his layover in Germany to save as a snack.
The Border Patrol agents confirmed it was his before scanning his passport and informing him that he would likely face “a penalty.”
“I am like, ‘Are they serious? They’re joking, right?’” O’Byrne said. “Nope, they’re not joking.”
“I looked into it, and even a banana can get you banned from Global Entry and a $500 fine,” he added.
At the date of posting last month, O’Byrne did not know whether he would actually face a punishment for bringing the prohibited item into the US. The Post has contacted him for comment.
“I was rightfully flabbergasted. I know what can and can’t be brought across borders — I’ve traveled my entire life, visited over 20 countries, and explored all 50 states thoroughly. But the way this was handled struck me as odd,” he told Newsweek.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, the US prohibits most agricultural products from entering the country due to the risk of pests and diseases that could impact the environment in the States.
US Customs and Border Protection spokesperson Anthony Bucci told the publication that, while the agency cannot discuss the details of individuals’ inspections, “all agricultural items must be declared” and prohibited items are confiscated.
“More importantly, civil penalties may be assessed for failure to declare prohibited agricultural products and may range up to $1,000 per first-time offense for noncommercial quantities,” Bucci said. “If the items are determined to be for commercial use, violations will be assessed at a much-higher rate.”
According to the CBP website, what fruits and vegetables are allowed into the US “depends on a number of factors,” citing an instance in the 1980s when one piece of contaminated fruit brought back to the US spread a fruit fly outbreak that cost millions in clean-up.
The site also warns travelers that failure to declare agricultural items will result in a $300 fine for first-time offenders, while a second violation will receive a penalty of $500.
“Sometimes you travel for 42 hours, sleep less than 6, and you forget,” O’Byrne said in the comments.
TikTokers were quick to inform him that it is, in fact, a “serious violation,” while others said they “could totally see” how this could happen by innocently snagging a piece of fruit at the airport.
“Fruits, vegetables, flowers, etc., can carry bugs or diseases that can impact our agriculture,” one person commented.
“Almost like [they] tell you 100 times not to bring fruit before you even land,” another chimed in.
“This just happened to a friend of mine for an orange,” someone else said, claiming that the person paid $1,000 in fines.
“If you are the type of person who can’t remember what they have or what is/isn’t allowed just always declare,” one user warned. “You can declare snacks and then they will ask follow up questions and check your bag.”
But O’Byrne called on lawmakers and regulators to “take into account the distinction between an honest mistake and an intentional attempt to circumvent border regulations.”
“The laws that protect our borders are crucial, but so is applying them with fairness and discretion,” he told Newsweek.
“I completely respect the need for border security, but I also hope there’s room for common sense in how penalties are applied. Laws meant to protect our nation should focus on real threats, not travelers who make a minor, unintentional error after 40 hours in transit.”