Egyptian locust discovered among luggage at Detroit Metro, CBP officials say
An Egyptian locust was found earlier this year among the luggage of a traveler arriving at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, prompting a reminder and alert from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of Field Operations.
While the locust incident happened in March, the CBP related the details and a photo in a social media post on July 10.
CBP agriculture experts working at Detroit Metro found the live Egyptian locust (Anacridium aegyptium) in a traveler's luggage from Albania.
"Exotic locusts present a serious threat to U.S. agriculture due to them feeding on a variety of plants, including crops like grapevines, citrus trees, deciduous orchard trees, and vegetables," the report said.
CBP's agriculture specialists work to prevent the introduction of harmful exotic species, diseases and potential agricultural bioterrorism. The agency says known prohibited items are destroyed, unknown pests are sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for further investigation.
This is not the first time that agriculture specialists have found unwelcome insects at DTW. The CBP has previously issued reports for cases that include a non-native burrowing grasshopper in the luggage of a passenger arriving from Kenya found in 2024, and six giant African snails found in the suitcase of a traveler arriving from Ghana in 2023.
"Most importers and passengers unintentionally bring these threats to the United States. Unfortunately, certain bad actors engage in agro-terrorism. Agro-terrorism specifically targets a component of agriculture or the food supply," the agency said.