Customs officials intercept desert weed seeds from passenger at Detroit Metro
Federal agriculture agents working at Detroit Metro intercepted seeds that came from a noxious weed in the Mideast, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency said Monday.
The seeds were from Syrian mesquite, which is native to desert climates of Northern Africa but rarely seen elsewhere, customs officials said. It grows into a prickly shrub that can disrupt croplands via its extensive root system.
The seeds were intercepted during an arrival from Iraq, authorities said.
The CBP agriculture specialists at Detroit Metro and other airports work to prevent unintentional or intentional import of invasive species and toxic substances into the United States. Passengers who bring in plants, fresh fruits or vegetables, meat and certain other items need to declare their cargo and help keep unwanted plants and insects out of the country.
A list of prohibited and restricted items for airline travel into the U.S. can be found on the CBP website.
Previous reports of unwelcome agricultural pests intercepted at Detroit Metro have included a medfly amid damaged fruit with a passenger from Albania, caper fruit fly larvae amid fresh flowers from Italy, and a tropical beetle species found amid partially dry bark from the Ivory Coast.