The US Coast Guard, in Collaboration With The Coast Guard And The FDA, Seized Over 18 Million Electronic Cigarettes, Worth Approximately 175 Million US Dollars.

On May 13th, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), during a special operation called "Red Mist Operation", over 18 million electronic cigarettes were seized, with an estimated value of over 175 million U.S. dollars (approximately 1.2 billion yuan).
The "Red Mist Operation" mainly targeted maritime shipments originating from the People's Republic of China, aiming to combat the import, transportation, and distribution of illegal electronic cigarettes and their harmful components.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency stated that through intelligence gathering, target identification, and cross-departmental cooperation, illegal electronic cigarette products were identified and seized. The law enforcement actions covered every link in the supply chain - from the pre-shipment of illegal products, to the inspection at the entry ports, and to the investigation after the seizure.
During this operation, the law enforcement team discovered that multiple batches of dangerous goods had incorrect classification and wrongly labeled (this is a common method to evade detection, taxes, and tariffs), did not meet the import requirements for tobacco products and electronic devices, and violated transportation safety and environmental protection standards.
All the electronic cigarette products seized in the "Red Mist Operation" did not receive pre-market authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, so their sale in the United States is an illegal act. Currently, only 45 electronic cigarette products that have obtained FDA authorization can be marketed and sold in the United States.
"The spread of illegal electronic cigarettes has raised concerns in communities across the country," said Diane J. Sabatino, Executive Assistant Commissioner of the Field Operations Office of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency. "Our frontline staff are working tirelessly to prevent these dangerous products from entering communities, especially to prevent them from falling into the hands of young people who are often the targets of manufacturers."
"The Red Mist Operation aims to prevent these unsafe products from entering communities and remove these products from store shelves. These law enforcement actions have also greatly weakened the operational capabilities of those illegal operators who attempt to dump dangerous products into the U.S. market."

It is known that as the largest law enforcement agency in the United States and the guardian of the country's borders, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency represents over 40 federal agencies to enforce 400 laws, intercept dangerous imported goods, and ensure that only legal and safe goods can enter the U.S. market.