Chicago Seized Nearly 2 Million Unauthorized Vape Products

A piece of article from the US FDA official website announced that in February of this year, it jointly seized nearly 2 million illegal vape products with the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Chicago,by retail valued at $33.8 million, almost all of which are from China. Here FDA article report link.

The involved brands includes Snoopy Smoke, Raz, OFF Stamp, AIRMEZ, etc. The FDA stated that the shipper used false reporting and labeling to evade inspection, and the products are not authorized by the FDA. For the first time, a warning letter has been sent to 24 importers, and compliance measures have been requested to be explained within a specified period of time.

Raz and Geekbar are belongs to Guangdong Qisi Technology Co., Ltd.

FDA warns that providing false statements or information to the US government is a federal criminal offense.The first official announcement of FDA action under the Trump administration: The announcement of the enforcement event coincided with the determination of the Acting Director of the Center for Product Products (CTP), making it the first announcement of its enforcement action.
Federal Collaboration Upgrades Enforcement Efficiency: This action showcases the achievements of cross agency joint enforcement between FDA and CBP, and successfully implements multiple new internal process optimization measures.

This seizure is another example of collaborative law enforcement by federal agencies aimed at cracking down on the circulation and sale of illegal vape products. In the early stage of this operation, the joint team of FDA and CBP has identified potential violations of imported goods and completed relevant investigation work. The team has successfully implemented multiple new internal process optimization measures based on past operational experience.

Bret Koplow, Acting Director of the FDA Tobacco Products Center, added:
We continue to discover more and more vape products attempting to evade inspection through disguised packaging and incorrect labeling. However, despite these disguise techniques, we have successfully prevented these products from entering the US supply chain
Pete Flores, Acting Director of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, stated:
Consumers should be aware that these vape products from China may be dangerous, and their production and adulteration conditions are not safe. These products may contain deadly toxins or anesthetics. Customs and Border Protection’s trade enforcement mission attaches great importance to intercepting illegal products that may harm American consumers, and we will continue to work with our consumer product security partners to identify and seize unsafe and illegal goods. ”

Most of the inspected goods violated the FDA’s Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), and some products were also seized for infringing intellectual property rights (IPR), such as unauthorized use of registered trademarks. All the vape products seized in this operation did not obtain the market access authorization required by the FDA, therefore they are considered illegal sales and distribution in the United States.
According to the law, goods confiscated by the government will be dealt with in accordance with the law. For such unauthorized new tobacco products (including vapes), they are usually destroyed.

In addition, the FDA has issued import information letters for the first time to 24 tobacco importers and declarants responsible for importing these illegal e-cigarettes.
The letter reminds the recipient that providing false statements or information to the US government is a federal criminal offense and requires them to explain what measures have been taken to ensure compliance with laws and regulations. The letter emphasizes that in the future, it is necessary to truthfully declare import information, otherwise it will be considered as intentionally evading FDA review. Each company is required to respond within 30 days and provide the requested information.
Both FDA and CBP are members of a federal working group focused on e-cigarette enforcement. Previous joint law enforcement actions include the seizure of $18 million worth of illegal vapes at Los Angeles International Airport in 2023, $7 million worth of vapes at a warehouse in Miami, and operations conducted in Chicago in June and October 2024, resulting in the seizure of over $77 million worth of illegal vape products.

In addition to confiscating goods, the FDA has also issued warning letters to over 750 companies for manufacturing, selling, or distributing unauthorized new tobacco products; At the same time, warning letters were issued to over 800 retailers, and civil fines were filed against 87 manufacturers and more than 175 retailers.