Three arrested and 1,172 pounds of Khat seized in Chicago

CHICAGO-On August 19 and August 20, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Chicago O'Hare International Airport assisted in the arrest of three individuals and seized over 1,170 pounds of the illegal stimulant Khat.

On August 19 CBP officers in Chicago inspected two travelers from Senegal arriving at O'Hare before boarding their next flight to LaGuardia International Airport. Chicago CBP escorted the travelers to baggage secondary, where an examination of their luggage revealed 167 packages containing the khat concealed inside pink plastic. CBP seized a total of 755 pounds of khat.

On August 20, CBP officers escorted another traveler arriving from Senegal to baggage secondary for an inspection. During the examination, officers discovered 93 packages of khat concealed inside pink plastic bags wrapped in foil. CBP seized a total of 417 pounds of khat.

All three travelers were arrested, and state prosecutors are charging them with Controlled Substance Trafficking and Manufacture/Delivery of 200+ grams of a Schedule I and II controlled substance. The khat had a street value of over $140,000.

"The sharing amongst officer of threat information and using intelligence-driven strategies were crucial in stopping these narcotics from making it to its' final destination," said Acting Director of Field Operations, Michael Pfeiffer, Chicago Field Office. "Our officers do an outstanding job stopping shipments like these. Criminals keep trying different ways to sneak their contraband into the United States and our officers do a better job of finding it and pursuing prosecutorial options."

CBP officers are seeing an increase in khat being smuggled in traveler baggage. CBP officers also seized 412 pounds of khat and 847 pounds of khat in separate seizures two weeks ago at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, and just last week CBP officers at Dulles International Airport seized 368 pounds of khat.

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).

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.

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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 70,000+ 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
• Arrests
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• Drug Seizure
• Drug Trafficking
• Office of Field Operations
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• Search and Seizure