CBP finds invasive farm destroying khapra beetle remains at Detroit airport

Romulus, MI – U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists intercepted remains of the khapra beetle, one of the world’s most destructive grain pests, during an inspection at Detroit Metropolitan Airport last spring.

Officials said the discovery occurred on April 18, when a traveler returning from Lebanon was referred for secondary inspection. During the examination, officers found a small bag of undeclared seeds intended for planting. The traveler received a warning and was released, while CBP seized the seeds for further analysis.

Upon closer inspection, agriculture specialists found a single cast skin inside the bag. The specimen was sent for expert review, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture later confirmed it as belonging to the khapra beetle, an insect considered quarantine-significant whether dead or alive.

Fadia Pastilong, CBP’s area port director in D...