139 Pounds Of Khat Seized At Dulles Airport, CBP Says

CBP officers seized 139 pounds of khat at Dulles Airport from a cargo shipment bound for California, officials said.

By Michael O'Connell, Patch Staff

Jun 17, 2026 1:51 pm EDT | Updated Jun 17, 2026 1:52 pm EDT

CBP agriculture specialists first discovered the khat while inspecting a shipment listed as containing a variety of spices. The shipment included 102 boxes, 10 of which contained leafy plant material, according to CBP. (CBP)

STERLING, VA — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized about 139 pounds of khat at Washington Dulles International Airport on June 4, the agency said.

The khat was shipped in air cargo from Ethiopia and was headed to Sacramento, California, according to CBP. Officials said the shipment had a street value of about $17,000 and was destroyed.

Shipment Was Listed As Spices

A U.S. Department of Agriculture botanist later confirmed that the plant material was khat, also known as Catha edulis, CBP said.

Khat, also known as Abyssinian tea and African salad, is typically grown in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It is chewed for its amphetamine-like effect, and dried khat leaves can also be boiled to make a stimulant tea, according to CBP.

The khat was shipped in air cargo from Ethiopia and was headed to Sacramento, California, according to CBP. Officials said the shipment had a street value of about $17,000 and was destroyed. (CBP)

The Drug Enforcement Administration says khat contains two central nervous system stimulants, cathinone and cathine. Cathinone, which CBP described as the principal active stimulant, is structurally similar to d-amphetamine and is at its highest levels when khat is harvested.

DEA Classifies Chemical As Schedule I Drug

The DEA classifies cathinone as a Schedule I drug, meaning it has no currently accepted medical use and 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, increased blood pressure and increased heart rate, CBP said. The World Health Organization classified khat as a drug of abuse in 1980, according to the agency.

“The khat plant is prohibited from being imported to the United States because its active chemical ingredients are controlled substances,” Christine Waugh, CBP’s area port director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C., said in a statement. “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 Reports Khat Seizures Nationwide

CBP officers and agents seized about 46,000 pounds of khat during the last fiscal year, from Oct. 1, 2024, through Sept. 30, 2025, the agency said. Officers and agents seized about 10,000 pounds during the first seven months of the current fiscal year, from Oct. 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026.

CBP said its officers and agents seized an average of about 1,600 pounds of dangerous drugs each day last year at and between U.S. air, sea and land ports of entry.

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