LEXINGTON, Ky. – People across the United States are receiving some unexpected packages. People in many states have reported receiving mysterious seeds from China arriving in mailboxes, causing agriculture officials to sound the alarm.

“At this point in time, we don’t have enough information to know if this is a hoax, a prank, an internet scam or an act of agricultural bio-terrorism,” said Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles. “Unsolicited seeds could be invasive and introduce unknown diseases to local plants, harm livestock or threaten our environment.”

Pictures of packages that state agriculture departments posted on social media have shown seeds of different sizes, shapes and colors which arrived in white or yellow envelopes. State officials said some packages were labeled as jewelry and may have contained Chinese writing.

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) released a statement acknowledging the unsolicited seeds. “APHIS is working closely with the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection and state departments of agriculture to prevent the unlawful entry of prohibited seeds and protect U.S. agriculture from invasive pests and noxious weeds,” their statement read.

“Invasive species wreak havoc on the environment, displace or destroy native plants and insects and severely damage crops,” the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said in a news release. “Taking steps to prevent their introduction is the most effective method of reducing both the risk of invasive species infestations and the cost to control and mitigate those infestations.”

It is currently unclear who exactly is sending these packages, why they’re being distributed or if the seeds are actually harmful. Plants and seeds shipped to the United States from other countries are heavily regulated by the APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine Program. Seeds imported into the country must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate that ensures the product is free of pests and diseases.

“I want to reiterate: do not plant the seeds,” Quarles said. “We don’t know what they are and we cannot risk any harm whatsoever to agricultural production in the United States. We have the safest, most abundant food supply in the world and we need to keep it that way.”

Individuals who have received suspicious packages with seeds should put them in an airtight bag and contact the APHIS division of Plant Protection and Quarantine.