Federal authorities removed over 2.3 million dangerous vape products from stores across the United States last week, the Drug Enforcement Administration reported.
The campaign, called Operation Vape Trail, ran Sept. 15-19 and focused on shops that sold illegal vaping products. During the bust, agents confiscated 115 weapons and made 106 arrests.
The crackdown focused on vape devices that contain illegal substances rather than nicotine. Many shops sold products with lab-made cannabis, artificial stimulants, and a synthetic form of kratom called 7-OH. These items often come in colorful packages designed to resemble popular candy and cereal brands.
"Illegal vape products pose hidden risks — especially to young people who often have no idea what these chemicals are that they are inhaling," DEA Administrator Terrance Cole stated. "By removing these products from our communities, we are taking decisive action to safeguard health, disrupt criminal networks, and prevent harm before it occurs."
In Laredo, Texas, agents found a tunnel extending 25 feet beneath one shop that led to a hidden room. Meanwhile, officers in Galveston confiscated 70,000 cartridges containing THC from a single home, along with 11 guns. Agents in Little Rock, Arkansas, responded to reports of stores that sold products to underage customers and confiscated close to 200 pounds of cannabis.
In addition to health risks, vaping causes environmental damage. Disposable vapes create mountains of plastic and electronic waste. Each discarded device includes a lithium battery that can leak dangerous chemicals into water and soil, and if not disposed of properly, these batteries are also a major fire hazard. The millions of these products thrown away each year add to the growing e-waste problem.
This enforcement action involved multiple federal agencies, including the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services, as well as the Food and Drug Administration.
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