U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has seized over four million unauthorized e-cigarette products during a weeklong operation in Chicago. The estimated retail value of the confiscated goods exceeds $86 million, making it the largest seizure of its kind to date.
The joint federal operation was months in planning, involving both agencies examining incoming shipments for illegal e-cigarettes. Most of the intercepted products originated from China and were bound for destinations across the United States. The teams checked for violations including lack of FDA approval, federal revenue evasion, intellectual property trademark issues, and improper hazardous materials labeling.
In total, nearly 4.7 million e-cigarettes with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price above $86.5 million were stopped from entering the country.
“Parents, teachers, coaches, and others concerned about our kids should be alarmed by how many unauthorized e-cigarettes have been seized by CBP and the FDA in Chicago,” said CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott. “There is no telling what dangers are inside these products or the conditions of the facilities that made them. I urge everyone to do research and know what you are buying.”
This action forms part of a broader FDA strategy aimed at curbing youth vaping in the United States. Other measures include stopping repeated attempts to bring illegal products into ports—a practice known as “port shopping”—targeting distribution networks for illicit e-cigarettes, educating parents about vaping risks, and collaborating with retailers nationwide to block sales of unapproved items.
Federal agencies worked together ahead of this enforcement effort to identify potentially non-compliant shipments and streamline review procedures based on previous operations.
“We will never allow foreign actors to threaten the health of America’s children,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “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.”
“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,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H. “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.”
CBP reports that so far this year more than six million unauthorized e-cigarettes valued at over $120 million have been kept out of U.S. markets through similar efforts.
All items confiscated lacked required premarket authorization orders from the FDA; such authorization is mandatory for legal marketing or sale within U.S. borders. Currently, only 39 e-cigarette products have received such approval; a searchable list is available through [the FDA's Tobacco Products Database](https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/products-ingredients-components/searchable-tobacco-products-database).
As part of follow-up actions after this seizure, 37 importers were contacted by the FDA regarding their roles in importing these illegal items. These firms were informed that making false statements or entries when dealing with U.S authorities constitutes a federal crime; they were reminded about compliance obligations for imported goods and accurate entry documentation requirements.
CBP continues its public outreach through social media accounts like [@CBPChicago](https://twitter.com/CBPChicago) on X (formerly Twitter) as well as educational content on [its YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/user/CustomsBorderProtect).
