CBP Officers Uncover Chinese Peptide Smuggling Scheme

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said officers in Ohio uncovered a scheme to smuggle more than 5,000 unapproved peptides into the U.S. from China.

CBP officers at the Port of Cincinnati took note of a “disturbing trend” of smuggling attempts by a Chinese shipper beginning in December 2025. The shipper attempted to send multiple types of peptides, including the active ingredients for glucagon-like peptide-1, or GLP-1 weight-loss drugs.

Multiple shipments seized between December 2025 and March 25, 2026, were falsely manifested as containing other things. The large, master carton shipping boxes instead contained many smaller unmanifested packages, which bore individual shipping labels for their true recipients in the U.S.

In total, CBP officers identified more than 300 master carton smuggling attempts. Each carton contained approximately 15 smaller, prelabeled shipments, for a total of around 5,000 peptide shipments.

The seized peptides included the GLP-1 medications retatrutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide, along with many others, including MOTS-C, TB10, semax and cagrilintide.

Peptides are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For unapproved peptides manufactured overseas, authenticity and safety cannot be determined, officials said.

“CBP officers in Cincinnati work tirelessly to combat the importation of unapproved shipments of goods such as these peptides used in weight loss injectables,” said Cincinnati Port Director Eric Zizelman. “Noncertified or unlicensed chemicals originating from other countries and shipped into the United States presents a serious health risk to those who use them. CBP urges consumers to not gamble their health against the efficacy of prescription medicines they purchase online from overseas vendors.”