FDA Collaborates with Border Authorities to Intercept Large Quantity of Illegal E-Cigarettes

In a significant enforcement operation conducted in February 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) teamed up with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to seize nearly 2 million units of unauthorized electronic cigarette products in Chicago. This joint effort aimed to prevent the influx of illegal vaping products into the United States by intercepting incoming shipments before they entered the retail supply chain.

The seized products had an estimated retail value of approximately $33.8 million. Most of these illicit e-cigarettes originated from China and were destined for distribution across multiple U.S. states. Authorities noted that many of these shipments were intentionally mislabeled or had vague product descriptions, likely to evade detection and bypass import safety reviews and duty fees.

Bret Koplow, Ph.D., J.D., acting director of the FDA Center for Tobacco Products, stated, "We are observing an increase in shipments of vaping-related products that are packaged and labeled in ways to avoid detection. Nonetheless, our efforts have successfully prevented these shipments from entering the US market, despite efforts to conceal their true nature."

All confiscated e-cigarette products lacked the necessary premarket authorization from the FDA, making their distribution within the U.S. illegal. The seized products are scheduled for destruction. As part of ongoing enforcement efforts, the FDA has issued 750 warning letters to manufacturers, sellers, and distributors, and 800 warnings to retailers. Civil penalties have also been sought against 87 manufacturers and over 175 retailers involved in the illegal sale or distribution of these products.

This operation underscores the ongoing challenge of regulating e-cigarette imports and protecting public health from unapproved tobacco products. For more details, visit the FDA's official announcement here.