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CBP seizes 1,600 pounds of khat, arrests Diawara

8/21/2026

32 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized nearly 1,600 pounds of khat at Dulles and BWI airports.
CBP arrested 25-year-old Mohamed Diawara after finding 368 pounds of khat in eight suitcases at Dulles on Aug 14, 2026.
CBP estimated the three recent seizures total about $200,000 in street value.
Area port directors said smuggling khat in passenger luggage is a growing, unusual trend.

History

Historical Context

In 1993 the DEA added cathinone to Schedule I, effectively banning khat, and President Clinton reaffirmed the classification in 1998, when agents seized 1,200 lb in New York and arrested 12 traffickers. That crackdown created a legal precedent that today guides CBP inspections, which this week intercepted 1,600 lb at Dulles and BWI valued at about $200,000.

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Story summary

U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized nearly 1,600 pounds of khat at Dulles and BWI airports.
CBP arrested 25-year-old Mohamed Diawara after finding 368 pounds of khat in eight suitcases at Dulles on Aug 14, 2026.
CBP estimated the three recent seizures total about $200,000 in street value.
Area port directors said smuggling khat in passenger luggage is a growing, unusual trend.

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