31st Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum – Transnational Organized Crime

Mr. Richard Marianos, former Assistant Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and current professor at Georgetown University, warned that criminal tobacco trafficking, particularly illegal vape products manufactured by Chinese organized crime, represents a rapidly growing global security threat. He stated that approximately eight out of ten illicit vape products worldwide are tied to Chinese organized crime networks, generating an estimated $300 billion annually. According to Mr. Marianos, these products are infiltrating communities through retail vape shops and online marketplaces, often linked to broader criminal activities including money laundering, narcotics trafficking, weapons smuggling, and cartel operations. He cited cases such as enforcement actions in Texas and major federal seizures, emphasizing that these operations are not small businesses but components of sophisticated transnational crime networks.

He argued that combating this threat requires clear regulatory authorization, aggressive enforcement, international intelligence-sharing, and cutting off financial flows. Mr. Marianos stressed that only about 40 vape products are legally authorized in the U.S., meaning the vast majority in circulation are contraband. He called for stronger bipartisan action, better funding distribution to local law enforcement, creation of national and global product directories, and preventive education in schools to reduce youth demand. Emphasizing that “crime hits everybody,” he urged governments to disrupt supply chains, prosecute offenders, and remove illicit products from communities, describing this as a critical opportunity to protect children and counter organized crime at its financial core.