Texas (US)

Texas agricultural authorities issued new alerts on January 15 after hundreds of residents reported receiving unidentified seeds through the mail that they had not ordered, according to a report by The Epoch Times (TET).

During the first 15 days of the year alone, officials collected 126 bags of unsolicited seeds that appeared in mailboxes across Texas, the Texas Department of Agriculture said. The state had already logged more than 1,100 bags of such unsolicited seeds over the previous year.

"These packages are arriving faster and spreading wider than ever," Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said in a January 15 statement. Officials fear that seeds delivered through the mail could be invasive plant species or could carry pests and diseases that threaten native crops and livestock.

"They might seem harmless, but the risk is serious," Miller said. "A single invasive species, pest, or pathogen could severely damage Texas farms, ranches, natural resources, and the food supply."

One of the earliest affected residents said they had previously ordered a dog toy from Temu, a Chinese e-commerce platform, before later receiving unsolicited seeds in the mail, according to the Texas Department of Agriculture.

The department said it is coordinating with federal agencies to trace the source of other seeds. Officials advised residents who receive unsolicited seeds not to open the packages or plant the contents.

Miller urged residents to report such parcels to authorities rather than sending them back, even if the return address appears to be within Texas.

The department said it learned of a resident of Frisco, Texas, whose address had been falsely listed as the return address on boxes containing the unknown seeds. As a result, that individual was inundated with returned packages they had neither packed nor shipped.

Other states, including New Mexico and Alabama, have also reported residents receiving similar unsolicited seed packages in 2025.

The Texas Department of Agriculture said it is examining whether the shipments are "disproportionately targeting Texas."

"We cannot afford to take risks that could threaten our producers, the environment, or food security," Miller said, as quoted by TET.

The Texas Department of Agriculture first cautioned residents in February 2025 after being contacted by a resident of Clute, Texas, who received an unsolicited parcel containing seeds and liquid from China, The Epoch Times (TET) reported.

Those seeds were later identified as Nelumbo nucifera, commonly known as sacred lotus or Indian lotus, by the US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, according to the Texas Department of Agriculture.

The unlabelled liquid included in the package was found to be plant food. The department warned that the sacred lotus is regarded as invasive in many areas, especially when introduced beyond its native Asian habitat.

While the plant is not listed as a federal noxious weed, it is currently banned in one state, Wisconsin, the TET report noted.

The recent increase in such deliveries mirrors a pattern seen five years ago, when households across the United States and other countries reported receiving unsolicited seeds by mail, many of which originated in China, according to the TET report.

ALSO READ: India, UAE signs deals to deepen partnership during MBZ's short Delhi visit

Federal investigators later concluded that the seeds were likely linked to a global "brushing scam." By mailing low-cost items to people who had not ordered them, sellers could post fake positive reviews under the names of "verified" recipients, thereby increasing product ratings and sales figures, according to the US Department of Agriculture.