CBP Specialists Intercept First-In-Nation Bark Beetle in Detroit as Federal Agriculture Officials Warn of Potential Ecological and Economic Risk

ROMULUS, MICHIGAN, December 11th, 2025

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists reported a significant interception earlier this year, as a three-millimeter bark beetle was discovered inside partially dried bark brought into the country for medicinal purposes; the bark arrived from the Ivory Coast and was examined during a routine passenger inspection at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, a setting where agricultural specialists perform constant evaluations of organic material in order to prevent harmful pests from entering American ecosystems. The beetle, recovered intact and embedded within the bark layers, was immediately isolated for laboratory review; local specialists identified it within the Afrotropical genus Ctonoxylon, and federal officials with the United States Department of Agriculture completed the identification by confirming the species as Ctonoxylon spinifer Eggers, a classification recorded on October 16th and noted as the first interception of this species at any United States port of entry.

The bark and beetle were seized for analysis, and the passenger was released without incident; CBP leadership emphasized that even tiny organisms of this nature carry implications that reach far beyond their size, since bark beetles historically occupy a unique place within agricultural risk management due to their ability to attach themselves to living or dried bark, burrow into protective layers, and reproduce in ways that can bypass early detection. Port Director Fadia Pastilong explained that the discovery demonstrates the vigilance of front-line specialists who monitor international travel items for biological threats that may not appear dangerous at a glance but have the capacity to reshape forests, orchards, and commercial agriculture.

Federal officials further highlighted why the interception is meaningful within the broader context of agricultural protection; most bark beetle species tunnel beneath bark and carve distinctive galleries for their larvae, and although this behavior is destructive in its own right, species within the Ctonoxylon group differ by tunneling entirely within the bark layers themselves, creating an alternative pattern of feeding and reproduction. This distinction, while technical, carries agricultural consequence because several related species in the group are documented feeders on fig and olive trees, crops grown commercially in regions such as Texas, where the passenger was ultimately headed. The presence of any exotic bark-boring insect in such regions introduces the possibility that an undetected population could establish itself in orchards or wild groves; invasive bark beetles outside their native ecosystems have historically spread faster than they can be contained, and once established within a tree’s internal structure, eradication becomes significantly more complex.

Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon noted that threats to agriculture often arrive in very small forms, and that specialists work continuously to intercept pests before they enter environments where they might adapt quickly and outpace containment. Many invasive insects have entered nations worldwide through untreated bark, wood packaging, or natural medicines carried by travelers; for this reason CBP officials reiterated the importance of declaring agricultural items, since lawful declaration allows inspection specialists to protect both natural landscapes and commercial growers by identifying risky items at the border rather than after potential harm has begun within the interior.

CBP described this interception as an example of the layered enforcement network that protects the country’s agriculture; the agency’s mission extends across air, land, and sea, and its personnel perform routine detection procedures that rely on experience, scientific guidance, and partnership with agencies such as the USDA. Officials underscored that the discovery of Ctonoxylon spinifer Eggers is not merely a procedural event but a reminder that global travel carries biological pathways that must be actively guarded, ensuring that pests capable of damaging crops, harming local ecosystems, or stressing economic infrastructure are stopped before they gain entry.

Primary First-Hand Sources
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection
• U.S. Department of Agriculture