§134d. Inspections and seizures; issuance of warrants

Employees of the Department of Agriculture designated by the Secretary for the purpose, when properly identified, shall have authority (1) to stop and inspect, without a warrant, any person or means of conveyance, moving into the United States from a foreign country, to determine whether such person or means of conveyance is carrying any animal, carcass, product, or article regulated or subject to disposal under any law or regulation administered by the Secretary for prevention of the introduction or dissemination of any communicable animal disease; (2) to stop and inspect, without a warrant, any means of conveyance moving interstate upon probable cause to believe that such means of conveyance is carrying any animal, carcass, product, or article regulated or subject to disposal under any law or regulation administered by the Secretary for the prevention of the introduction or dissemination of any communicable animal disease; and (3) to enter upon, with a warrant, any premises for the purpose of making inspections and seizures necessary under such laws and regulations. Any Federal judge, or any judge of a court of record in the United States, or any United States magistrate judge, may, within his jurisdiction, upon proper oath or affirmation indicating probable cause to believe that there is on certain premises any animal, carcass, product, or article regulated or subject to disposal under any law or regulation administered by the Secretary for the prevention of the introduction or dissemination of any communicable animal disease, issue warrants for the entry upon such premises and for inspections and seizures necessary under such laws and regulations. Such warrants may be executed by any authorized employee of the Department of Agriculture.

( Pub. L. 87–518, §5, July 2, 1962, 76 Stat. 130 ; Pub. L. 90–578, title IV, §402(b)(2), Oct. 17, 1968, 82 Stat. 1118 ; Pub. L. 101–650, title III, §321, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5117 .)

Change of Name

"United States magistrate judge" substituted in text for "United States magistrate" pursuant to section 321 of Pub. L. 101–650, set out as a note under section 631 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure. Previously, "United States magistrate" substituted for "United States commissioner" pursuant to Pub. L. 90–578. See chapter 43 (§631 et seq.) of Title 28.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 134, 134e, 134f, 134g, 134h, 136a of this title; title 16 section 1540.