Invasive weed known as prickly acacia intercepted at Detroit Metro, customs officials say
Federal agriculture specialists working at Detroit Metro Airport recently intercepted a plant known as prickly acacia from Egypt, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency said Tuesday.
The invasive weed is not welcome among incoming flight passengers as it can outcompete native plants and crops, the agency said.
In addition, the seeds of this weed host the Bruchidius bean weevil species, which has the potential to infest other plants.
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 desert weed seeds intercepted during an arrival from Iraq.