CBP officers seize 847 more pounds of khat in traveler baggage at BWI airport days after seizing 412 pounds

BALTIMORE – Just days after seizing 412 pounds of khat in leftover traveler baggage at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized an even larger load of approximately 847 pounds from two U.S. citizens who arrived from London on Aug. 13. CBP officers referred the two men--who are from New York--to a secondary inspection. During a baggage examination, officers discovered a significant quantity of what appeared to be tea leaves. Field tests identified the leaves as khat (Catha edulis). Each man possessed six soft-sided suitcases full of khat. The khat weighed a combined 846 pounds, 9 ounces, and has a street value of about $100,000. CBP seized the khat and released the travelers pending an investigation. “Customs and Border Protection officers have observed substantial quantities of khat being smuggled in commercial shipments, but smuggling loads of this volume inside traveler baggage is a bit unusual, and not any more successful,” said CBP’s Baltimore Area Port Director Adam Rottman. “Khat is illegal and poses severe health risks to users. CBP will continue to seize khat and other dangerous drugs when we encounter it and we will work with our law enforcement partners to hold smugglers accountable.” This seizure nearly mirrors the seizure of two days earlier. In that case, CBP officers spooked the smuggler who fled CBP's inspection station leaving his 412-pound khat load behind. 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, which is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, and cathine, 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. CBP officers and agents seized about 46,000 pounds of khat last fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2024, through Sept. 30, 2025) and seized nearly 19,000 pounds of khat during the first nine months of this fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2025, through July 31, 2026).