By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- FDA and CBP seized 4.7 million unauthorized e-cigarettes in Chicago, the largest action of its kind.
- Most shipments came from China with misleading customs declarations; only 39 e-cigarette products are FDA-authorized.
- Enforcement expands a federal crackdown, with 6 million illegal units worth $120 million blocked so far this year.
U.S. regulators announced the largest-ever federal seizure of unauthorized e-cigarettes, confiscating 4.7 million units with an estimated retail value of $86.5 million in a joint enforcement operation at the Port of Chicago.
The news comes on the heels of another announcement that U.S. Marshals and FDA agents seized truckloads of flavored vaping products from a major Illinois distributor on Wednesday in one of several coordinated federal raids across the country, escalating the crackdown on unauthorized e-cigarette sales.
Federal officials said the target of the operation was Midwest Goods Inc., a wholesale distributor based in Bensenville that supplies vape shops and smoke retailers nationwide.
Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters outside the facility that flavored disposable vapes and nicotine liquids seized in the raid were being marketed to youth, “often with candy-like names and patriotic packaging.”
The Chicago Port action, led by the Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), targeted incoming shipments and aimed to block the flow of illegal vaping products into the U.S. market.
Officials said most of the seized shipments originated from China and were declared with vague or misleading descriptions and undervalued invoices, apparently to avoid duties and safety inspections, the FDA has announced .
“All e-cigarette products seized in this operation lacked mandatory premarket authorization from the FDA and therefore cannot be legally marketed in the United States,” the agencies said. To date, the FDA has authorized just 39 e-cigarette products for U.S. sale, leaving nearly all other devices and flavors on the market unauthorized.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said the move was intended to protect young people. “We will never allow foreign actors to threaten the health of America’s children. Today we took decisive action to protect kids from illegal vape products,” Kennedy said, thanking President Trump and Attorney General Bondi for their support.
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary added that the operation underscored the government’s commitment to border enforcement. “If a product has not been authorized by the FDA, CBP will seize, detain or destroy it,” he said.
The crackdown builds on earlier enforcement work by FDA and CBP. In total this year, the agencies have stopped more than 6 million unauthorized e-cigarettes valued at over $120 million from entering the U.S. The coordinated effort also aims to end so-called “port shopping,” where importers repeatedly attempt to bring in noncompliant products through different entry points.
Alongside the seizures, FDA contacted 37 importers and entry filers involved in the shipments, reminding them it is a federal crime to make false declarations to the government and requiring them to respond within 30 days.
The FDA said the seizures highlight its broader strategy to address illicit nicotine product supply chains, educate parents about vaping risks, and strengthen retail compliance nationwide.
