Officers say they were told to lie

Six customs inspectors have told federal officials that their bosses instructed them to enter false data indicating that airline passengers had been stopped and inspected for plant and animal contraband.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers allege that in 2005, supervisors at Orlando Sanford International Airport told them to falsify information typically gathered during direct interviews and inspections of international passengers or crew members, according to a report by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel.

The six officers were agricultural specialists employed to detect and stop the introduction of animal and plant pests into the United States.