Russ WareAfter several months of little activity, the U.S. government is seemingly back at the task of preventing illegal vapes from entering the country. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr’s Department of Health and Human Services, through the FDA and Customs and Border Protection, has announced the seizure of $86.5 Million Worth of unauthorized e-cigarette products.
The seizure of an estimated 4.7 million units, described as the largest of this kind, was part of a joint federal operation in Chicago that specifically aimed to examine and prevent shipments of suspect vapes making landfall. The announcement does not mention the period over which the operation took place, so while the numbers are more than double those of the last major seizure announced in May 2025, it’s unclear if it signifies an uptick in traffic or simply a delay in announcing federal enforcement actions over the past few months.
As is commonly the case, most of the illegal e-cigarette shipments originated in China. Unsurprising, really, as that is where the vast majority of vapes are made, particularly disposables, which likely comprise the bulk of these shipments. The FDA and CBP stated that many of the individual packages examined had vague and misleading product descriptions with incorrect values. This tactic is used not only to hide the fact that the contents are illegal, but also to avoid paying the correct duties.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr said of the seizure, “Today we took decisive action to protect kids from illegal vape products. Thank you to President Trump and Attorney General Bondi for their leadership in helping us shut down this black market.”
In the somewhat chaotic first several months of Trump’s second term, vaping and illegal e-cigarettes have made few headlines. However, that could be about to change, as this latest action is being touted as part of an “aggressive” strategy against childhood vaping. Other targets for this strategy are said to include:
- Ending the practice of “port shopping,” by which illegal products repeatedly try to enter the United States.
- Addressing the distribution networks of illegal e-cigarette products
- Educating parents about the dangers of vaping
- Working with store owners nationwide to prevent the sale of illegal products.
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H., is quoted as saying: “The FDA and our federal partners are taking strong actions to shore up America’s borders and stop the flow of illegal vaping products into our country. Americans – especially our children – should not be using potentially dangerous, addicting products that have been snuck into the U.S. If a product has not been authorized by the FDA, CBP will seize, detain or destroy it.”
In total this year, the FDA and CBP have stopped more than 6 million unauthorized e-cigarettes worth over $120 million from entering the country.
Aside from the illegal vapes being confiscated and ultimately destroyed, the FDA contacted dozens of the importers responsible for importing these illegal e-cigarettes into the U.S. Each was “reminded” that making false statements or entries to the government is a federal crime, and was given 30 days to respond with justification for their actions.
Versed Vaper Team
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