The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has seized more than 2.3 million vape devices and cartridges and more than 100 weapons since Sept. 15, the agency said in announcing the results of a weeklong enforcement action, dubbed Operation Vape Trail.
The operation is part of a “whole-of-government” initiative aimed at removing dangerous and illegal vaping substances from communities across America, DEA said.
“This operation underscores our commitment to protecting Americans from dangerous, deadly and illegal substances that threaten public safety and national security,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “Illegal vape products pose hidden risks—especially to young people who often have no idea what these chemicals are that they are inhaling. By removing these products from our communities, we are taking decisive action to safeguard health, disrupt criminal networks and prevent harm before it occurs.”
Vaping devices were originally designed for nicotine and marketed as a cigarette alternative; however, recent data suggests a significant portion of e-cigarette sales involve illegal substances, highlighting a growing public safety and health concern, DEA said. Illegal and addictive substances such as synthetic marijuana (also known as "spice" or "k2"), synthetic cathinones (also known as “bath salts”) and hydroxymitragynine (also known as 7-OH or synthetic kratom), are also being sold in vape shops, said the agency. Many of these products feature bright packaging and imagery inspired by popular cereals, candies and snacks.
From Sept. 15 through Sept. 19, 2025, DEA’s 23 domestic field divisions and seven foreign regions carried out coordinated enforcement actions that resulted in:
- Vape Pens/Cartridges: 2,357,755
- Currency Seizures: $3,502,905
- Assets seized: $5,235,000
- Firearms: 115
- Arrests: 106
The DEA Laredo, Texas, District Office, with the assistance of the Laredo Police Department, executed a search warrant inside one shop in which investigators uncovered a 25-foot-deep tunnel leading to what appeared to be a concealed room behind the business—highlighting the extreme measures taken to hide illegal operations. Authorities also seized cocaine and marijuana during the search.
The DEA Galveston, Texas, Resident Office, in conjunction with the U.S. Marshals Service and Harris County Constables Office Precinct 2, seized 70,000 THC cartridges, 30,000 packages of THC edibles, 15 pounds of marijuana and 11 firearms inside a home.
Upon receiving multiple complaints about vape shops selling to minors, DEA’s Little Rock, Arkansas, District Office seized nearly 200 pounds of marijuana and more than 50 firearms in two separate investigations. Authorities arrested two people.
The DEA Albany, New York, District Office seized hundreds of pounds of colorfully packaged products including marijuana flower, marijuana cigarettes, packaged THC gummies, flavored THC vape cartridges and mushroom gummies, arrested two illegal criminals and seized $50,000.
DEA also has been investigating vape shops near military bases. Most of these shops are owned and operated by foreign nationals believed to be specifically targeting active military personnel. As a result of one joint operation, DEA and its partners seized 8,000 pounds of THC products, 70,000 marijuana plants and nearly 21,500 pounds of processed marijuana and arrested 20 people, including three Chinese nationals.
Operation Vape Trail is part of a larger collaborative enforcement effort between the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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