STERLING, Virginia - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized more than 50,000 marijuana atomizers on Wednesday that were shipped from China to an address in Manassas, Virginia.

The shipment initially arrived on September 8 on a flight from Japan. CBP officers inspected and detained the shipment, which consisted of 63 boxes that contained 50,400 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) atomizers.

An atomizer is the tool that heats the liquid in an electronic nicotine delivery system, or e-cigarette, and draws it into the device's coil for the user to inhale. THC atomizers differ slightly from standard vaping atomizers in that they are specifically designed to heat THC liquid.

Officers seized the atomizers on Wednesday as an unlawful import of drug paraphernalia [21 USC 863(a)(3)]. The shipment was assessed at more than $131,000.

"With the enormous popularity in vaping, Customs and Border Protection encourages those who do consume e-cigarette products to be absolutely certain that the product they are inhaling is safe and not manufactured by an unscrupulous vendor in an unregulated facility with unknown products," said John Jurgutis, Acting Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C. "Ensuring that all imports comply with federal import and safety laws is one way in which CBP protects consumers every day from potentially dangerous products that could cause them harm."

CBP's border security mission is led at ports of entry by CBP officers from the Office of Field Operations. CBP officers screen international travelers and cargo and search for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation's safety and economic vitality. Learn more about what CBP accomplished during "A Typical Day " in 2020

Please visit CBP Ports of Entry to learn more about how CBP's Office of Field Operations secures our nation's borders. Learn more about CBP at www.CBP.gov.

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