The U.S. Department of Justice, in coordination with the Food and Drug Administration, said it has seized more than 2.1 million unauthorized e-cigarette products in a multi-state crackdown targeting flavored vapes that lacked FDA marketing authorization. The actions, executed with the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, and other law enforcement partners, spanned five distributors and six retailers across seven states, according to court filings and agency statements.
Federal seizure complaints allege the companies had previously been warned by FDA that their electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products required premarket authorization prior to sale. Despite those notices, recent FDA inspections and undercover ATF buys indicated ongoing sales and distribution of unauthorized products, prompting coordinated raids and seizures authorized by federal warrants.
Officials framed the operations as both a public health and national security priority, underscoring the government’s intensifying posture toward flavored vapes marketed without FDA approval.
- “These dangerous and unauthorized vapes are often smuggled in from China to be sold near schools and military bases,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi, calling the raids “just the beginning.” She pledged prosecutions against actors in the illicit supply chain.
- U.S. Marshals Service Director Gadyaces S. Serralta said more than 2 million non-FDA authorized products were removed from five warehouse distribution centers and six retail sites nationwide, describing the effort as a coordinated move “to protect our youth.”
- U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros (N.D. Ill.) said the seized products “undermined” consumer protection safeguards and vowed continued pursuit of civil and criminal remedies to keep prohibited products off shelves.
In parallel with the seizures, DOJ filed civil injunctive actions aimed at stopping future violations, alleging the defendants continued to market adulterated and misbranded tobacco products after FDA warnings. The injunction filings target the same entities and related individuals where seizures occurred, including:
- Tampa Vapor (Tampa, FL) and owner Michael R. Synychak – M.D. Fla.
- Progressive Retail Inc. d/b/a Rainbow Food Mart (Tampa, FL) and president Varun Chawla – M.D. Fla.
- Bouslimi Holdings, Inc. d/b/a Marathon/Food Center (Tampa, FL) and president Imed Bouslimi – M.D. Fla.
- A Joint Effort, Inc. d/b/a Blvd Smoke Shop (Miami, FL) and officer/director Husam Bahhur – S.D. Fla.
- Calle 8 Petroleum LLC d/b/a UGAS/Circle K (Miami, FL) and owner Rashid A. Saeed – S.D. Fla.
- Smoke House Sunset (Los Angeles, CA) and owner Ali Masoud – C.D. Cal.
- D&A Distribution, LLC d/b/a Strictly E-Cig (Savannah, GA) and owner Robert S. Ali – S.D. Ga.
- PSM101, LLC d/b/a Center Point Distributors (South Plainfield, NJ) and owner Niravkumar G. Vora – D.N.J.
- B&G Trading LLC d/b/a Vaportech Wholesale (Phoenix, AZ) and co-owners Ataman Bilgin and Hasmet Girgin – D. Ariz.
- Midwest Goods Inc. d/b/a Midwest Distribution and Midwest Distribution Illinois (Bensenville, IL) and owner/CEO Kamran Yasin – N.D. Ill.
- Dream Distro LLC (Garner, NC) and owner Faisal A. Alhadrami – E.D.N.C.
An additional injunctive action was filed against Gorilla Vapes LLC (NJ) and co-owners Nick Jurczyk and Russell Jurczyk in the District of New Jersey.
Regulatory context and why it matters:
- Under federal law, new tobacco products, including ENDS, generally must undergo FDA premarket review and secure marketing authorization before interstate sale. Products sold without authorization are subject to seizure and injunction.
- The latest actions signal ongoing federal pressure on flavored vape distribution channels, especially those operating after FDA warning letters. Expect stepped-up coordination among DOJ, FDA, ATF, and HHS to target warehouses, wholesalers, and retailers viewed as persistent violators.
- For the market, large-scale seizures disrupt supply chains and accelerate risk for distributors carrying products without granted PMTAs. Retailers near schools, military installations, and high-traffic corridors should anticipate heightened scrutiny and potential undercover buys.
Enforcement details:
- The U.S. Marshals Service led seizures, supported by ATF agents and other partners.
- Trial Attorneys Coleen Schoch, James T. Nelson, Roger Gural, Zachary L. Cowan, and Pauline A. Stamatelos of DOJ’s Consumer Protection Branch are leading the civil cases, under Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Sarmad Khojasteh. AUSAs across multiple districts contributed, alongside counsel from HHS and FDA.
What’s next:
- The injunctive complaints seek to prevent future sales of unauthorized products by the named entities and individuals. The actions announced are allegations only, with no liability determinations to date.
- Companies facing PMTA gaps or pending applications should reassess inventories, vendor relationships, and compliance protocols immediately. Documentation of authorized SKUs, supplier attestations, and rapid product pulls upon FDA notice are critical risk mitigations.
Bottom line:
This is one of the largest coordinated federal seizures of flavored vapes in recent memory, and it reinforces a clear line: selling ENDS products without FDA marketing authorization invites rapid, multi-agency enforcement. For the industry, compliance is not optional—and the government’s threshold for patience appears to be closing.
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