U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Philadelphia recently seized a half pound of ketamine and 10 doses of LSD that had been shipped from the Netherlands. The seizures occurred on August 16 and 17, when officers inspected three envelopes destined for addresses in Seattle, Las Vegas, and Wayne, Michigan.
The CBP officers discovered a white crystalline substance inside clear bags within each envelope. Using handheld analysis tools, they identified the substance as ketamine hydrochloride. In one envelope, officers also found thick paper perforated into 10 squares, which tested positive for lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).
“Ketamine and LSD are very dangerous substances that can seriously harm drug abusers but can also inadvertently threaten the lives of Customs and Border Protection officers who work hard every day trying to keep illicit narcotics from reaching our communities,” said Cleatus P. Hunt, Jr., Area Port Director for CBP’s Area Port of Philadelphia. “CBP remains committed to combatting drug trafficking organizations by seizing their poisonous shipments at our nation’s ports of entry.”
LSD is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance with no accepted medical use in the United States and a high potential for abuse. Ketamine hydrochloride is regulated as a Schedule III non-narcotic compound under the Controlled Substances Act. While ketamine has lawful uses in human and veterinary medicine for sedation and pain relief, it is often abused for its dissociative effects.
CBP reports that unprescribed ketamine is sometimes mixed with other drugs such as ecstasy and associated with raves or dance clubs. Overdoses may cause serious health issues including nausea, unconsciousness, convulsions, or respiratory failure. Ketamine has also been used by sexual predators to incapacitate victims.
From late June through early July this year, Philadelphia CBP officers seized an additional 129 pounds of ketamine intended for South Florida.
In addition to these cases, CBP officers have intercepted parcels containing ecstasy, steroids, marijuana seeds, and other illegal items.
On average each day across air, sea, and land ports of entry nationwide, CBP seizes more than 1,500 pounds of drugs—including fentanyl—while screening travelers and cargo to prevent illicit substances from entering the country. For further details on recent enforcement activity by CBP see https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/typical-day-fy2024 as well as summary statistics at https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics.
CBP's Office of Field Operations leads border security at ports of entry by screening international travelers and cargo to identify threats ranging from narcotics to prohibited agriculture products.
More information about U.S. Customs and Border Protection can be found at www.CBP.gov.
