It's a holiday hustle of a different kind at Miami International Airport.
"Valentine's Day at MIA is one of the most demanding times of the year for CBP Agriculture Specialists as they are ensuring the flower bouquets are free from plant pests and diseases that could harm the U.S. agriculture and floral industries," says Customs and Border Protection Chief Agriculture Specialist Arthur Florence.
Nearly 90% of all cut flowers imported into the U.S. comes through Miami.
It's estimated that between January 1st and February 15th, they will have inspected more than one-billion stems.
"It seems there's a higher demand for these flowers, and especially during a pandemic," he adds.
Florence admits this past year has been challenging maintaining social distancing while inspecting hundreds of flowers in small warehouses, but CBP's Zachary Mann says despite that, "CBP officers and agriculture specialists have maintained the same level of diligence and mission goals.... Our goal has always been to keep the economy safe and facilitate the movement of persons and cargo, and we've been able to do that throughout this pandemic."
In fact, Florence notes the number of pests entering the country have dwindled over the years because of agriculture specialists' efforts.