The Justice Department, in coordination with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has seized about 73,000 units of products containing 7-hydroxymitragine (7-OH) from three warehouses. The seizures followed legal actions filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.
According to court documents, two companies in the Kansas City area—Shaman Botanicals LLC and Relax Relief Rejuvenate Trading LLC—continued distributing 7-OH products despite receiving FDA warnings that these items were illegal under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The U.S. Marshals Service conducted the seizures with support from FDA personnel.
“Products containing 7-OH are illegal under federal law,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We have seen numerous reports of harmful health consequences in consumers, including children, who have taken 7-OH products. Working with our partners at FDA, we will take action against anyone participating in the illegal distribution of these products.”
U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price for the Western District of Missouri stated: “The 7-OH products seized are illegal under federal law and pose risks to consumers, including children. We are committed to helping American consumers protect themselves from dangerous chemicals posing as health products. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure illegal products never enter the stream of commerce and pursue all possible civil and criminal remedies against those who violate federal laws.”
The FDA identified 7-OH as a dangerous and potentially addictive substance and recommended scheduling it under the Controlled Substances Act in July 2025. Warning letters were also sent to several firms regarding their sale of unlawful 7-OH products.
Under a bipartisan law passed by Congress in 1994, dietary supplements cannot contain new dietary ingredients unless there is adequate information ensuring they do not present significant or unreasonable health risks. Since there is insufficient data on 7-OH’s safety, selling supplements containing this ingredient is prohibited.
Legal proceedings were managed by Assistant Director Patrick Runkle, Senior Litigation Counsel David Sullivan, and Senior Trial Attorney James T. Nelson from the Justice Department’s Civil Division’s Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch under Sarmad Khojasteh’s leadership as Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. Support was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Bradshaw and Leigh Farmakidis as well as attorneys from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of General Counsel and FDA’s Office of Chief Counsel.
Further details about enforcement activities can be found at www.justice.gov.
