BATON ROUGE, LA —U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers assigned to the Port of Baton Rouge seized 58 boxes of 23,200 unauthorized atomizers.
The atomizers, or vaping devices known to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS), were seized because neither the exporter nor the importer possessed a commercial import license for these types of devices, nor did the packages bear country of origin markings. Additionally, the devices were packaged to appeal to underaged people, advertising chocolate and strawberry flavors.
are often packaged to appeal to younger
people.
According to the FDA, vaping devices often contain nicotine and other ingredients that can be harmful to users, especially those who are underaged. For this reason, the FDA launched an anti-vaping campaign targeted at teens.
“This is another example of CBP’s complex frontline mission to protect the American public,” said Patrick Tyrrell, CBP Baton Rouge Port Director. “While the overwhelming majority of international trade is legitimate, there are those who attempt to exploit the industry for illicit purposes.”
Similar seizures have taken place at other ports over the past few months. Most recently, officers at the Port of Philadelphia seized $1.7 million in unauthorized e-cigarette products. Last year, CBP made more than $1.5 billion in trade-related seizures, including items that pose health and safety risks. The top three categories affecting the health and safety of the consumer were personal care, pharmaceuticals and consumer electronics. Suspected trade and agriculture violations on the Gulf Coast can be reported by calling 1-866-237-3468.
The Port of Baton Rouge falls under the New Orleans Office of Field Operations (OFO) Area Port of New Orleans, which oversees inland ports through the state of Louisiana. CBP New Orleans oversees 18 ports of entry in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Arkansas with a domestic contribution of more than $200 billion to the U.S. economy.