On Thursday, July 8, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers at an express consignment hub in Memphis, Tennessee examined a package described in the paperwork by the shipper as “PLANNT SUBSTRAC PREMIUM GRADE OF HORTI." The shipment was sent from rural Chiapas, in southern Mexico, to a residence northwest of Philadelphia.
The shipment was opened and Officers found 14 bundles of a wood bark substance, in little pieces. The shipment was tested by the CBP On-Site lab and identified as N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT). The total weight was 17.85 kilos.
DMT can be used by researchers under a schedule I research registration that requires approval from both DEA and the Food and Drug Administration. However, this shipment was most likely meant for illicit use. According to the DEA, “The intense effects and short duration of action are attractive to individuals who want the psychedelic experience but do not choose to experience the mind altering perceptions over an extended period of time as occurs with other hallucinogens, like LSD. DMT is generally smoked or consumed orally in brews like Ayahuasca.”
“My officers work 7 days a week to stop the flow of illegal drugs from entering communities in every corner of our country. Just because you can order something illegal to be shipped to you, doesn’t mean it will arrive without consequences.” Said Area Port Director Michael Neipert.
The shipment was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations who have initiated an investigation.
This seizure took place within the Area Port of Memphis, which covers ports of entry throughout the state of Tennessee and falls under CBP’s New Orleans Field Office. This Field Office includes all ports in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee.
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