The Environmental Investigation Agency’s
Illegal Trade Bulletin Issue 6 highlights recent enforcement actions against illegal refrigerant trade in the U.S. and abroad. Published on March 24, 2026, the bulletin covers penalties against Amazon and Walmart in Washington State, a global law enforcement operation led by Europol, a Belgian auction of confiscated R-134a, and a UN campaign recognizing women involved in environmental enforcement.
The Washington State Department of Ecology announced on March 19 penalties totaling more than $1.1 million against Amazon Inc. ($800,068) and Walmart Inc. ($383,388) for selling motor vehicle air conditioning recharge cans containing banned refrigerant R-134a. Ecology said Washington banned retail sales of R-134a canisters in July 2021 under 2019-2021 state laws that phase out hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants. The bulletin also notes that Ecology fined Home Depot $1.6 million in June 2024 for illegal internet sales of R-134a MVAC recharge canisters in the state.
The bulletin also points to Operation Custos Viridis, which the U.S. Department of Justice announced on March 11. Led by Europol with partners from 71 countries, the operation ran from an intelligence phase in January-June 2025 to an operational phase in July-December 2025 across five continents. Globally, enforcement actions resulted in seizures of 602 tons of polluting agents, including 398 tons of F-gases, 2.3 tons of mercury, 127,149 tons of waste and 75 tons of plant protection products, along with 1,048 inspections and 337 arrests. In the U.S., authorities seized 1,484 pounds (673 kg) of F-gases, 40 pounds (18 kg) and 6 gallons (23 litres) of illegal pesticides, made 21 arrests, and secured more than $4.2 million in restitutions and more than $2.2 million in forfeitures.
In a separate U.S. case cited from the Department of Justice’s March 4 Environmental Crimes Bulletin, an individual was sentenced on January 27, 2026 after pleading guilty to smuggling HFCs into the U.S. from Mexico. The case involved seven 24-pound (10.9 kg) cylinders imported into Texas. The specific refrigerant was not disclosed.
In Belgium, nearly 14 tonnes (about 30,400 pounds) of confiscated R-134a was put up for auction, with bidding open until April 30, 2026. According to Cooling Post, the auction involved 23 lots of 50 cylinders each, with every cylinder containing 12 kg (26.5 pounds) of R-134a and a starting bid of €2,700 [$3,114] per lot. The bulletin says only buyers registered in the EU F-Gas Portal with quota allocations can bid, and that the Customs and Excise laboratory analyzed four random cylinders before the sale.
