CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport have seized more than 4,000 pounds of khat so far this year,
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CBP said the seizures happened in four separate enforcement actions.
The khat was intercepted in cargo shipments coming from India, the Netherlands and Nigeria. In another case, officers found khat hidden inside the suitcases of two U.S. citizens arriving in Atlanta on a flight from Paris.
Khat, also known as Abyssinian tea or African salad, is a plant that contains cathinone, a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law.
The seizures have an estimated street value of about $500,000, according to CBP. The confiscated khat will be destroyed.
“CBP officers in Atlanta are on the front lines every day, identifying and intercepting illegal narcotics before they can reach communities across the United States,” said Pedro Ortiz, acting port director for CBP Atlanta.
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The agency said the amount seized in Atlanta reflects its efforts to disrupt the movement of controlled substances and prevent them from reaching U.S. communities.
Nationwide, CBP officers and agents seized 46,000 pounds of khat during 2025.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, khat contains two central nervous system stimulants: cathinone, classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, and cathine, classified as Schedule IV.
The DEA says cathinone can cause increased heart rate and blood pressure, insomnia, anxiety and agitation. Khat toxicity can also cause symptoms including delusions, loss of appetite and difficulty breathing.
The World Health Organization classified khat as a drug of abuse in 1980.
CBP said its Atlanta officers will continue targeting illegal drugs and other controlled substances entering the country through the airport.
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