After returning home from a trip to France, Colorado native Crystal Tadlock received a hefty fine from the U.S. customs and Border Protection. However, the fine isn't for anything she brought back from her trip abroad. Tadlock is being charged $500 for an Apple she had in her carry-on bag. This apple, she says, was given to her by a Delta employee while she was in the air — it even had a sticker on it with the airline company's logo.

This didn't seem to matter to Customs, who unfortunately chose her for a random search upon entrance. Tadlock told Fox 31 that she asked the agent if she could eat it quickly or throw it away since she didn't mean to bring in an undeclared item.

She was handed the apple during her flight and threw it in her bag to eat at another time.

Is Customs exaggerating?

In her interview with Fox, Tadlock explained that she feels that she's being treated as if she were a criminal. The frequent traveler is even at risk of losing her Global Entry Status which generally makes re-entrance into the U.S. easier than it is for others.

A spokesperson told Fox News that the reason for the violation is simple. The woman failed to comply with the rule that all agricultural items must be declared. According to the statement released, Tadlock may have lucked out with her fine. For first-time offenders, the civil penalty may reach up to $1,000.

The statement went on to clarify that every single fruit or vegetable entering the country must be declared and inspected by a U.S.

Customers and Border Protection Agricultural Specialist. Tadlock believes her situation is unfair since nobody on the flight even thought to remind the passengers that they are not allowed to keep the snack with them.

What does Delta have to say?

Delta didn't have much to say about the matter, as the appear to be attempting to stay away from any controversy.

They released a statement saying that they "encourage customers to adhere to U.S. Customs and Border Protection policies and requirements."

This isn't good enough for Tadlock, who plans to take the matter to court. While she understands the laws the U.S. Customs and Border Protection have in place and doesn't disagree with them, she still doesn't plan to pay the fine she received.

Whether or not the apple came from inside the U.S. is only known by Delta, who really should have reminded passengers to eat them or dispose of them before stepping off the plane. A simple announcement would have saved this woman a lot of hassle, time, and money.
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