The ABC television network has developed a new reality show that will star, among others,  inspectors as they try to prevent peset invasions at the border.

The program, “Homeland Security USA,” two weeks ago and will air on Tuesdays at 8 p.m., PST.
The first episode, “This is Your Car on Drugs,” featured international entry points to the United States, such as the Los Angeles International Airport.

The episode also took viewers behind the scenes with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to see some unusual illegal items intercepted at the International Mail Center in Carson, Calif., where officers discovered barbecued bats. Additional episodes will feature California’s airports and the measures taken by Customs and Border Protection officials to protect the state’s agriculture and commerce from invasive pests and diseases.

“This series is an important reminder of the risk we face from invasive species introduced each day in California,” California Agricutlure Secretary A.G. Kawamura said in a news release. “

Exotic and invasive strains and species ranging from plants and animals to insect pests and diseases put the nation’s resources at serious risk, particularly from international travel and commerce.

In 2008, for example, California Department of Food and Agriculture border protection stations inspected more than 22.1 million vehicles and 7.3 million commercial vehicles. As a result, they rejected more than 43,000 lots of fruits, vegetables and plants that were in violation of quarantine laws.

With the help of CDFA’s Plant Pest Diagnostics Lab, inspectors intercepted over 2,500 confirmed exotic invasive species capable of causing damage to California’s agricultural and urban environments.

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