More than 2 million unauthorized vapes seized in nationwide raids

The Justice Department and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that more than 2.1 million flavored e-cigarettes were seized in coordinated raids across seven states, part of a crackdown on unauthorized vaping products.

The products were confiscated from five distributors and six retailers that had previously been warned by the FDA that their electronic nicotine delivery systems required premarket authorization before being sold, the Justice Department said in a statement on Thursday.

Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made undercover purchases and conducted inspections that showed the companies continued distributing the products, according to court filings.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi said many of the products were smuggled in from China and marketed near schools and military bases. The operation involved the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, FDA, and the Department of Health and Human Services.

“This is a national security issue, and this month’s raids are just the beginning,” Bondi said, promising further prosecutions of sellers violating federal law.

In one of the largest seizures, U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros in Illinois said the raids targeted “millions in illicit products” that posed risks to children and undermined federal safety standards. Civil injunctions have also been filed to prevent the companies and their owners from resuming sales.

The companies targeted include Tampa Vapor in Florida, Smoke House Sunset in California, D&A Distribution in Georgia, Center Point Distributors in New Jersey, Vaportech Wholesale in Arizona, Midwest Goods in Illinois, and Dream Distro in North Carolina, among others.

Under federal law, new tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, must undergo FDA review and receive authorization before entering the U.S. market. The seized vapes were considered adulterated and misbranded because they lacked that approval.