June 24 (UPI) -- Customs and Border Protection officers earlier this month seized 695 pounds of the hallucinogenic drug dimethyltryptamine that was bound for an address in Harford County, Md.
On June 11, CBP officers seized three shipments of DMT that were transported via air cargo from Chiapas, Mexico, between May 7 and May 27, the CBP announced on Tuesday.
"The global marketplace has allowed unscrupulous people in our communities to order dangerous drugs, such as DMT, from overseas manufacturers that could hurt and potentially kill abusers," said Jason Kropiewnicki, CBP acting area port director in Baltimore.
"Inspecting imports remains a critical component of Customs and Border Protection's border security mission," Kropiewnicki said. "Seizures like this are one way in which CBP helps to protect our communities."
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Each shipment contained four boxes containing a total of 100 vacuum-sealed bags filled with a powdery and brown substance, which CBP scientists identified as DMT.
The 300 bags of DMT weighed a total of about 695 pounds and had a street value of $550,000.
Commonly called DMT, the drug is a Schedule 1 controlled substance that has no known medicinal use but has a high potential for abuse, according to the federal government.
DMT is a naturally occurring substance that is found in some plants and animals and can be used as a mind-altering drug.
Large doses can deliver a high while distorting users' senses and causing hallucinations due to the active ingredients found in ayahuasca, which is a tea that is native to South America.
Synthetic varieties of DMT are made in labs, and organic and synthetic varieties often are used recreationally to cause a short and powerful "trip" that is akin to LSD.
DMT often is known by its street names of "Dimitri," "elf spice," "the spirit molecule" and "the businessman's special."
Various cultures have used the drug for centuries for religious and ritualistic purposes.
Some studies indicate DMT might provide physical and mental health benefits, but its side effects generally negate them.
Recent research suggests DMT might increase the production of proteins that could enhance learning, memory, and synaptic formation and maintenance within the brain.
DMT also lessened the production of proteins that could cause inflammation, brain lesions and degeneration.
