Senate Republicans Send Letter to USTR Urging Action on Illicit E-Cigarettes
A group of Senate Republicans have alerted the Trump administration that large volumes of illicit Chinese e-cigarettes entering the U.S. pose national security and criminal risks. In a
letter
sent to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Feb. 3, 2026, lawmakers said profits from illegal vape products benefit Chinese state-linked entities and could potentially fund military or technological efforts against U.S. interests. They raised concerns that some “smart vapes” can connect to smartphones and may collect data or enable spying. Additionally, the letter noted FinCEN findings linking illicit e-cigarette trade to Mexican cartels using it for trade-based money laundering tied to fentanyl proceeds. While praising Trump-era enforcement actions, the senators urged a broader, coordinated strategy to combat the threat. Read more
here.