Philadelphia CBP intercepts more dangerous ketamine and LSD shipped from the Netherlands

PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Philadelphia seized a half pound of ketamine and 10 doses of LSD in three envelopes that were shipped from the Netherlands in mid-August.

CBP officers continue to seize ketamine, the animal anesthetic dangerously abused by drug users, and by sexual predators on their victims. From late-June through early-July, Philadelphia CBP officers seized 57 pounds of ketamine and another 72 pounds of Ketamine, all destined to South Florida.

The most recent seizures occurred on August 16 and 17. CBP officers inspected three envelopes and discovered a white crystalline substance inside a clear bag in each envelope. Officers tested the substance using a handheld elemental isotope analysis tool and identified the substance as ketamine hydrochloride.

In one envelope, CBP officers also discovered a thick paper perforated into 10 squares. Officers field-tested the paper using a narcotics identification pouch which identified the substance as lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD.

LSD is a Schedule I controlled substance. It is considered a potent hallucinogenic that has a high potential for abuse and currently has no accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.

Each envelope was destined to addresses in either Seattle, Las Vegas, or Wayne, Mich.

“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.”

According to the DEA, ketamine hydrochloride is a Schedule III non-narcotic compound regulated under the Controlled Substances Act. It is commonly known on the street as Special K, Donkey Dust, and Cat Killer, and is smoked, snorted, or mixed in beverages.

It is used lawfully in both human and veterinary medicine to induce sedation, immobility, and relief from pain. Unprescribed, ketamine is abused by users for its ability to induce dissociative sensations and hallucinations like that induced by phencyclidine (PCP).

Ketamine is often cut or combined with other dangerous compounds, such as ecstasy, and it is often associated with raves and dance clubs. Overdoses can lead to serious health threats, such as nausea, elevated heart rate, unconsciousness, convulsions, and respiratory failure.

Additionally, ketamine has been used by sexual predators to incapacitate their victims during sexual assaults.

CBP officers also seized parcels that concealed ecstasy, steroids, and marijuana seeds, among other illegal items.

CBP officers and agents seized an average of 1,571 pounds of drugs, including 78 pounds of fentanyl, every day at our nation’s air, sea, and land ports of entry. See what else CBP accomplished during "A Typical Day" in 2024, and view CBP enforcement stats and summaries.

CBP's border security mission is led at our nation’s Ports of Entry by CBP officers and agriculture specialists from the Office of Field Operations. CBP screens international travelers and cargo and searches for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, invasive weeds and pests, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation’s safety and economic vitality.

Learn more at www.CBP.gov.

Follow the Director of CBP’s Baltimore Field Office on Twitter at @DFOBaltimore for breaking news, current events, human interest stories and photos, and CBP’s Office of Field Operations on Instagram at @cbpfieldops.