Dulles CBP seizes 139 pounds of Ethiopian khat destined to Sacramento

STERLING, Va. - The Ethiopian national soccer team didn't qualify for the World Cup this year, but another product from Ethiopia did reach the United States only to be seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Washington Dulles International Airport on June 4.

CBP officers seized about 139 pounds of khat that was being shipped in air cargo from Ethiopia to Sacramento, Calif. The khat, which had a street value of about $17,000, was destroyed.

CBP agriculture specialists initially discovered the khat while inspecting a shipment manifested as a variety of spices. The shipment contained 102 boxes of which 10 boxes contained leafy plant material. CBP agriculture specialists submitted samples to a U.S. Department of Agriculture botanist who confirmed the plant material as khat (Catha edulis).

Khat, known as Abyssinian tea and African salad, is typically grown in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and is chewed for its amphetamine-like effect. Users also boil dried khat leaves to create a stimulant tea.

According to the DEA, khat contains two central nervous system stimulants, cathinone and cathine. Cathinone, considered to be the principal active stimulant, is structurally similar to d-amphetamine, and cathinone levels are at its highest when khat is harvested. The DEA classifies cathinone as a schedule 1 drug. It has no currently accepted medical use and it has a high potential for abuse. Cathine is classified as a Schedule IV controlled substance.

Symptoms of khat toxicity include delusions, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing, and increased blood pressure and heart rate. The World Health Organization classified khat as a drug of abuse in 1980.

"The khat plant is prohibited from being imported to the United States because its active chemical ingredients are controlled substances," said Christine Waugh, CBP's Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C. "Narcotics interdiction along our nation's borders remains a priority enforcement mission for Customs and Border Protection, and seizing illicit and potentially dangerous substances is one way in which CBP officers can help to keep our communities safe."

CBP officers and agents seized about 46,000 pounds of khat last fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2024, through Sept. 30, 2025) and has seized about 10,000 pounds during the first seven months of this fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026).

Every day, CBP officers and agents seized an average of about 1,600 pounds of dangerous drugs last year at and between our nation's air, sea, and land ports of entry. See CBP's enforcement stats to learn about what else CBP is encountering at our nation's borders.

CBP's border security mission is led at our nation's Ports of Entry by CBP officers and agriculture specialists from the Office of Field Operations. CBP screens international travelers and cargo and searches for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, invasive weeds and pests, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation's safety and economic vitality.

Learn more at https://www.CBP.gov.

Follow the Director of CBP's Baltimore Field Office on X @DFOBaltimore and CBP's Office of Field Operations on Instagram @cbpfieldops.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency. The 69,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We enforce safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation's security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.

• Topics
• Agriculture
• Drug Seizure
• Enforcement
• Office of Field Operations