Suspects arrested, products seized and businesses closed in multi-agency vape crackdown

BATON ROUGE – A multi-agency state and federal crackdown on unauthorized vape products in Louisiana resulted in ten arrests and more than $1 million worth of illegal vape pens, pods, juices and other products taken off the streets.

The Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC) announced the results of Operation Vape Out, a four-week statewide investigation in coordination with Louisiana State Police (LSP), the Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office (LSFM), Louisiana State Probation and Parole (LSP&P) and the federal Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The objective was to confiscate illegal vape products sold by retail and wholesale businesses, and to identify and arrest the people responsible.

State troopers and HSI arrested ten suspects on a variety of charges including possession of schedule I narcotics, unlawful possession of hallucinogenic plants, felony possession of nitrous oxide and immigration violations.

The tens of thousands of illegal and unauthorized products seized include (B-roll):

• 34,000 pens, pods and juices
• 16,000 CBD gummies, liquids and pre-rolled cigarettes
• 6,500 containers of nitrous oxide (N2O)
• 1,800 schedule I narcotics, including marijuana, tianeptine (“gas station heroin”) and psilocybin
• 1,500 tainted sexual enhancement products

In addition to the arrests and product seizures, ATC issued more than 140 citations for alcohol, tobacco, alternative tobacco and consumable hemp violations; the state Fire Marshal’s office issued more than 150 citations for safety and fire code violations; and ATC suspended the permits of six businesses:

• Smokin Aces Smoke Shop (14455 Wax Road, Baton Rouge)
• Candle Hookah Smoke Shop (2865 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, Lafayette)
• Old Smokey (3302 Johnston Street, Lafayette)
• Vapes ‘R’ Us (334 N. Market Street, Shreveport)
• 318 Cloudz (307 E. Texas, Shreveport)
• 318 Cloudz (2501 Beene Blvd., Shreveport)

ATC encourages anyone with information about the illegal sale of vape products in Louisiana to submit a complaint at www.atc.louisiana.gov.