Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

4 Investigates: Seeds from China sent to New Mexicans
KOB4 ^ | August 22, 2021 | Nathan O'Neal

Posted on 08/23/2021 10:21:41 AM PDT by beaversmom

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- While hundreds of New Mexicans received unsolicited seeds from a mysterious Chinese address, federal investigators are still uncertain about the motivation behind the shipments.

'It was concerning to me because I thought how did they get my name? My address? Everything, um... what kind of information of mine is floating out there for them to just handpick my name and send them off?,' said Angela Alonen, who received a package of unsolicited seeds in the mail.

Beginning in early 2020, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture served as a collection point for unsolicited seeds from New Mexicans. The department then sent all of the seeds, packaging and other evidence to the USDA which was the agency leading the investigation.

In New Mexico, state authorities identified more than 300 individual seeds.

'There was a full range of seeds - some were flower seeds, some were herbs, some were fruit,' said Katie Laney of the New Mexico Department of Agriculture based in Las Cruces.

'There were just a couple [seeds] that were identified as noxious weeds at the federal level,' said Laney.

Many of the seeds collected by the state were found to have been improperly labeled.

'That in itself is a violation of the New Mexico Seed Law -- seeds have to be correctly labeled,' said Laney, adding: 'The bigger concern is because [the seeds] were unknown, they could have been harmful weed seeds that were invasive, they could have harbored some sort of biological nuisance or pathogen.'

Federal investigators with the USDA found 'most of the seed shipments were illegal because they entered the United States without a permit.'

While the motivation for the mysterious seed shipments remains unclear, the USDA found no evidence of any malicious intent to harm domestic crops.

According to the USDA, the unsolicited seed shipments may have been part of a 'brushing scam' where sellers ship out inexpensive items to increase transaction totals, which in turn boosts their ratings on online shopping websites.

State and federal authorities continue to urge anyone who may come across unsolicited or unmarked seeds in the mal to not plant them or throw them away, instead to report them and turn them in so they may be properly disposed.

'The recommendation was to not plant them simply because there was so much unknown about them. We didn't know what kind of seeds they were. We didn't know if they posed a threat. We didn't know whether there was any material in there that posed a threat,' said Laney.

The New Mexico Department of Agriculture is no longer collecting unsolicited seeds. The USDA has instructions on how and where to turn over unsolicited seeds.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: New Mexico
KEYWORDS: china; newmexico

1 posted on 08/23/2021 10:21:41 AM PDT by beaversmom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: beaversmom

China has a folder on every American as well as most of the rest of the world. They stole 22 million personnel files of Military form OPM a few years ago.


2 posted on 08/23/2021 10:27:12 AM PDT by mountainlion (Live well for those that did not make it back.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: beaversmom

This is so incredibly shady! And ballsy!

No malicious intent MY A$*!


3 posted on 08/23/2021 10:30:04 AM PDT by hillarys cankles
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: beaversmom

I ordered an area rug from Rooms to Go earlier this year. It was shipped from China and had a hole in the packaging when I received it.

The rug was covered in seeds and it took a few times vacuuming to get it all cleaned up.

I’m sure the seeds were an invasive plant / weed.


4 posted on 08/23/2021 10:32:12 AM PDT by dangermouse
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: beaversmom

Didn’t our government say the same thing about the afbidenstan rout?
...the biden misadministration found no evidence of any malicious intent to harm...


5 posted on 08/23/2021 10:38:47 AM PDT by Harpotoo (Being a socialist is a lot easier than having to WORK like the rest of US:-))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: beaversmom
They need to make sure they are not seeds similar to the Monsanto "terminator" seeds.

https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/seeds-evil-monsanto-and-genetic-engineering

6 posted on 08/23/2021 10:40:01 AM PDT by Sons of Union Vets (Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: beaversmom

China could be shipping the virus somehow. Who knows?


7 posted on 08/23/2021 10:40:24 AM PDT by JoJo354 (Trump is still my President)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: beaversmom

Could those seeds be fermented in a mash?


8 posted on 08/23/2021 11:26:03 AM PDT by Scrambler Bob (My /s is more true than your /science (or you might mean /seance))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: beaversmom

‘It was concerning to me because I thought how did they get my name? My address? Everything, um... what kind of information of mine is floating out there for them to just handpick my name and send them off?,’ said Angela Alonen,
......................................................
Angela, at the risk of causing you serious anxiety I must tell you that virtually EVERYTHING there is to know about you is easily available to anyone anywhere on the planet who has the technology and technical expertise to access that information.


9 posted on 08/23/2021 11:33:31 AM PDT by fortes fortuna juvat ("It is in the region of ignorance that tyranny begins." Ben Franklin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: beaversmom

I had read story awhile back that a lot of people had ordered the seeds but because of covid, shipping was delayed and by the time they got the seeds, they forgot they ordered them


10 posted on 08/23/2021 12:02:21 PM PDT by roving
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: beaversmom

FEED ME!

11 posted on 08/23/2021 1:56:12 PM PDT by GreenLanternCorps (Hi! I'm the Dread Pirate Roberts! (TM) Atsk about franchise opportunities in your area.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: beaversmom
Throw 'em in your backyard. It'll be fine.


12 posted on 08/23/2021 2:13:59 PM PDT by Libloather (Why do climate change hoax deniers live in mansions on the beach?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mountainlion

I believe the OPM database was sold by treacherous Obama stooges. Our government is riddled with traitors, spies, America haters, Commies, and just plain old crooks.


13 posted on 08/23/2021 4:22:38 PM PDT by rxh4n1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson