DEA New Orleans and Arkansas DFA Regulatory Agents Seize More Than 7,600 Illicit Products from Vape and Tobacco Stores
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas – Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) Regulatory Agents recently partnered with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Little Rock District Office to seize 7,636 illicit or non-compliant products from vape and tobacco retailers. Regulatory agents, who oversee tobacco, alcohol and medical marijuana permits, visited 28 vape and tobacco retailers based on previously gathered intelligence. The visits took place between March 5 and March 17.
Seized products included:
- 5,640 illicit vape devices
- 1,214 non-compliant e-liquid products
- 314 intoxicating hemp-derived or THC-related products, including Delta-8 and Delta-9 vape devices and synthetic cannabinoid concentrates
- 57 THC edible products
- Approximately 3 pounds of suspected marijuana/hemp flower
- 411 untaxed tobacco products
Seizures took place throughout central Arkansas, northwest Arkansas and Hot Springs.
“We were proud to partner with the DEA on this effort to protect Arkansans from dangerous, unregulated products,” said Regulatory Enforcement Director David Potter. “Our agents continually educate permit holders regarding what is and isn’t allowed. Ignorance of the law is not an acceptable defense. We have thousands of permit holders committed to compliance and will not allow a handful of rogue actors to endanger the public.”
Criminal charges related to the Schedule VI controlled substances are pending.
"The Arkansas DFA has set a gold standard for state-level enforcement, serving as an elite force multiplier for the DEA,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer of the New Orleans Field Division. “By removing thousands of illicit vapes and dangerous synthetics from our streets in just days, our combined teams are directly insulating Arkansas communities from international drug trafficking trends. This operation is a decisive victory for public safety in the Natural State, and we are proud to stand with a premier state agency that delivers such immediate, high-impact results."
