U.S. CBP and FDA Seize 165,000 Illicit E-Cigarette Products; Total Value Exceeds $1.47 Million

Key Points

• Seizure scale: 165,000 units in total—90,000 ENDS devices and 75,000 refill cartridges—with an MSRP exceeding $1.47 million.

• Nature of violations: Lack of FDA premarket authorization (PMTA); products deemed “adulterated and misbranded” under the FD&C Act.

• Flavors involved: Blue Razz, Iced Lush, Blue Lightning, Gum Mint, Turkish Tobacco, Classic Tobacco, among others.

• Related enforcement: Intelligence support from CBP’s Chicago Field Office aided the interdiction; earlier Chicago operations seized about 4.7 million units (valued at ~$86.5 million), and last week the DOJ and FDA reported over 2.1 million illicit vaping products seized nationwide.

2Firsts, September 29, 2025 — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that officers in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area recently inspected multiple pallets and discovered roughly 165,000 e-cigarette devices and refill cartridges—comprising 90,000 devices and 75,000 cartridges.

After a joint evaluation by CBP and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the products were determined to lack the FDA’s required premarket authorization and therefore cannot be legally sold in the United States. They were further classified as “adulterated” and “misbranded” under the FD&C Act and seized accordingly. The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the shipments is estimated to exceed $1.47 million. All consignments reportedly originated in China and were destined for a wholesaler in California.

CBP noted that the interdiction benefited from intelligence sharing with the Chicago Field Office. The seized items included a variety of flavors such as Blue Razz, Iced Lush, Blue Lightning, Gum Mint, Turkish Tobacco, and Classic Tobacco. CBP said it will continue working with the FDA and other partners to identify and seize unsafe and illicit goods, and reminded importers and e-commerce buyers to ensure their purchases and importations comply with federal and state regulations.

Federal agencies have recently intensified enforcement nationally. Earlier this month, CBP, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the FDA conducted a joint operation in Chicago that seized approximately 4.7 million unauthorized e-cigarettes valued at about $86.5 million. Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and FDA also announced coordinated actions across seven states that resulted in the seizure of more than 2.1 million illicit vaping products. (Read more: Largest E-Cigarette Seizure in U.S. History: Over 600,000 Products Confiscated from Midwest Goods Warehouse; Company Denies Violations, Calls FDA “Unfair”)