David Schweikert, U.S. Representative for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, said illegal Chinese-made vapes are being designed and marketed in ways that appeal to children before being shipped unlawfully into the United States.
In a statement posted on social media, Schweikert also said the Trump administration should treat the issue as a serious cross-border enforcement concern and pressure China to stop the products before they reach the U.S. market.
“I joined a letter pushing the administration to treat illegal Chinese vapes like the threat they are. Too many parents know the feeling of finding one in a backpack or under a bed and realizing somebody on the other side of the world designed it to look harmless so a child would reach for it,” Schweikert said.
“These products are aimed at kids and shipped into the United States in violation of both U.S. and Chinese law. Any deal with China should require Beijing to stop them at the source,” he added.
The issue has drawn attention from lawmakers who say unauthorized vape imports pose public health, trade, and national security risks.
Seventy-one House lawmakers signed a letter urging the Trump administration to confront illicit Chinese vape imports as a trade, public health and national security threat. The letter called on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to prioritize stopping the flow of unauthorized e-cigarettes in future negotiations with Beijing and to address the issue as part of a broader effort targeting illegal Chinese market access.
Law enforcement agencies have increased scrutiny of illegal vape sales beyond routine tobacco enforcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said investigations have linked some retail activity near military bases to broader networks. The agency reported that vape shops near bases were being examined, including cases involving foreign nationals and potential targeting of active-duty personnel, contributing to national security concerns as well as youth access issues.
A joint Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operation in Chicago seized nearly 2 million units of unauthorized e-cigarette products with an estimated retail value of $33.8 million. Federal officials said most of the products originated in China, highlighting the scale of cross-border enforcement challenges and the volume of unauthorized vape products entering U.S. ports before interception.
Schweikert represents Arizona’s 1st Congressional District in Congress, centered in Phoenix, where his official profile highlights work on fiscal, health, and economic issues that connect public health, trade, border enforcement, and consumer protection.
