Op-Ed: Derek Maltz: Here’s what President Trump must do next to win the fight against illicit Chinese vapes
The safety of our children and the future of our country depend on recognizing this chemical war for what it is and responding with urgency before it’s too late, Derek Maltz cautions.
President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi recently struck back against the scourge of illicit Chinese vapes by raiding the manufacturers and distributors pushing these products on Americans. This leadership has been badly needed, and it’s a huge win for every American family, for the administration, and for the Congressional leaders, like Sens. Ashley Moody (R., Fla.), Tom Cotton (R., Ark.), and Katie Britt (R., Ala.) who have called for this action.
Here’s how we got to this point, and what we need to do next to make sure no Americans are harmed by illegal vapes and synthetic drugs from China. The crisis we face today with illicit vapor products is not an isolated issue; it’s the latest chapter in a long and dangerous playbook from criminal networks in China.
For years, we’ve witnessed a pattern of chemical weaponization targeting American communities, especially our youth. What began as the export of precursor chemicals for methamphetamine production into Mexico has evolved into a transnational assault on public health and national security.
From Meth Precursors to Synthetic Drugs
For decades, Chinese chemical brokers supplied the ingredients that fueled methamphetamine production across the Western Hemisphere. Working together with Mexican cartels, they turned Mexico into an industrial-scale factory for highly pure meth — an unprecedented chemical assault on America’s streets. As production surged, so did addiction, psychosis, and violence.
Around 2012, the threat evolved again. Synthetic drugs like “bath salts,” K2, and Spice — also manufactured in China — flooded our streets, packaged to appeal directly to kids. Sold in gas stations and bodegas, these brightly labeled poisons devastated families across the nation.
As Director of the DEA’s Special Operations Division, during Project Synergy, a top-priority U.S. operation targeting these networks, I saw firsthand Americans collapsing in public, some bleeding from their eyes and ears after consuming these substances. Cities like New York and Chicago became ground zero for this chemical assault. I’ll never forget the horrifying scenes, like the day outside Yale University when over 70 people were found collapsing on the streets from synthetic drug overdoses.
The Fentanyl Partnership: A Transnational Death Pipeline
When law enforcement cracked down, the traffickers pivoted. Chinese chemical suppliers partnered with Mexican cartels to produce illicit fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than heroin. The criminals built a lethal supply chain into the United States. The result? Historic deaths.
Fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45. Were it not for Narcan, the life-saving opioid reversal drug, the death toll would be even more staggering. This is no longer just a public health crisis, but rather a national security emergency.
Next-Generation Threats: Nitazene, Xylazine, and Chemical Adaptation
Chinese criminal operations have only grown more sophisticated. They now produce even deadlier substances like Nitazene and Xylazine, using encrypted apps to hide communications, laundering billions through underground banking and trade-based schemes, and exploiting loopholes in international law.
Meanwhile, many Chinese nationals have illegally entered the U.S. and established illicit marijuana grow operations from coast to coast. Reports exposed over 270 illegal Chinese-run grows in Maine alone, while Oklahoma became “ground zero.” These criminals exploited weak regulatory systems to manufacture high-THC marijuana, often sprayed with unknown Chinese pesticides. The result: Americans showing up in emergency rooms with psychosis, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders linked to these illicit and dangerous products.
The Vape Invasion: A New Weapon Targeting America’s Kids
Now, these same networks have shifted to a new front with illicit vapor products. Ironically, these products are illegal to sell in China, yet Chinese manufacturers are flooding the U.S. market with unregulated, flavored vapes designed to attract children.
These vapes often contain unknown chemicals, dangerous levels of nicotine, and toxic additives. Many come packaged like candy or toys, even equipped with Bluetooth speakers or video games to hook young users. This isn’t just deceptive marketing, it’s chemical warfare disguised as consumer goods.
Law Enforcement Is Fighting Back
I’m encouraged by recent actions. The Department of Justice’s historic seizure of over 2.1 million illicit flavored vapes, and the DEA’s “Operation Vape Trail,” which led to 106 arrests and the confiscation of millions of vape cartridges, firearms, and assets, are major victories. These operations send a clear message: We will not allow the poisoning of our children.
A Call for a Whole-of-Government Response
But enforcement alone is not enough. We need a whole of government approach that includes education, regulation, and international pressure.
Hold China accountable for its role in flooding our country with toxic chemicals and unregulated products.
Empower parents and schools with the tools to identify and respond to emerging threats.
Modernize our laws to keep pace with traffickers’ evolving tactics.
Strengthen interagency coordination between to block chemical exports and dismantle laundering networks.
This is my warning to families: the illicit drug supply is tainted with poisonous chemicals, and these new illicit vapes are part of that same deadly ecosystem. If you don’t know what’s in it, don’t let your child use it. These products are not harmless, they are part of a global strategy to profit from addiction and undermine our nation’s health and stability.
The Time to Act Is Now
We’ve seen this playbook before with meth, synthetics, and fentanyl, and each time, the cost of delay was measured in American lives. We cannot afford to ignore the threat again.
The safety of our children and the future of our country depend on recognizing this chemical war for what it is and responding with urgency before it’s too late.
Derek Maltz served as the acting administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.