CBP to Spend $50 Million on Less Lethal Chemical Weapons

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is planning to spend up to $50 million to acquire a vast arsenal of chemical grenades, sprays, projectiles and other weapons. According to procurement materials reviewed by The Intercept, the agency is seeking a vendor capable of supplying 123 different types of munitions across 10 distinct categories.

The agency refers to these acquisitions as Less Lethal Specialty Munitions, a term for weapons designed to disable or injure targets rather than kill them. The purchase comes after months of documented abuse of similar munitions on American streets.

“The sheer quantity and the myriad different weapons is the most remarkable thing to me. When there’s so many different kinds, it makes you question, tactically, what’s the goal there?”

Rohini Haar, emergency physician and researcher of less lethal ordnance

Rohini Haar questioned whether the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can provide adequate training for federal agents to handle such a diverse array of weapons. She noted that each munition has different technical specifications, explaining that some are handheld grenades that must be thrown carefully to avoid hitting targets in the head, while others are launched from weapons requiring the agent to maintain a greater distance.

Chemical Munitions and Dispersal

The procurement list includes various methods for deploying two primary types of tear gas: oleoresin capsicum (OC), which is derived from chili peppers, and chlorobenzalmalononitrile (CS). CS is a chemical weapon previously utilized by the United States in Vietnam but is currently banned for military use.

CBP intends to utilize devices designed for indiscriminate spread of these chemicals. This includes quart containers of liquid CS and OC for use in thermal foggers, which create mists of microscopic liquid droplets. For example, the Golden Eagle Pepper Fogger Generator from vendor Defense Technology can output 100,000 cubic feet of tear gas within 26 seconds.

The use of these chemicals is associated with health risks beyond immediate pain. A 2023 study by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health found that greater exposure to chemical agents was significantly associated with higher odds of adverse reproductive health outcomes. These outcomes included breast tenderness, uterine cramping, early menstrual bleeding, and delayed menstrual bleeding.

The scale of the requested order is substantial. CBP projects the purchase of more than 242,000 munitions from the Hand Delivered Pyrotechnic Canisters category, which includes 12 varieties of tear-gas grenades and smoke grenades in four different colors.

Impact Weapons and Acoustic Devices

In addition to chemical agents, CBP plans to order over 100,000 rounds of impact munitions fired from grenade launcher-style tubes. These include foam-tipped sponge cartridges designed to either cause harm through the force of impact or release a chemical agent upon hitting a target.

Evidence indicates that these so-called less-lethal rounds can cause permanent injury or death if fired at close range. In January 2026, anti-ICE demonstrator Kaden Rummler lost sight in his left eye after being shot in the face by a federal officer. In a separate incident last summer, a protester shot in the face by a Los Angeles Police Department foam projectile required surgery and had his jaw wired shut for six weeks.

The agency is also seeking 13,000 distraction devices that stun targets with bright lights and loud sounds. The procurement documents specify that these devices must be capable of emitting sounds of 175 decibels, which is louder than a jet engine. The National Hearing Conservation Association warns that sounds of 140 decibels can cause permanent damage, and the death of hearing tissue begins at 180 decibels.

Researcher Scott Reynhout expressed alarm over the inclusion of scattershot projectiles and rubber-ball grenades. These weapons release a burst of small rubber fragments, similar to shrapnel, and can be configured to release tear gas simultaneously. Reynhout noted that such weapons are used by Iranian police and paramilitaries, and were used by Chilean security forces six years ago, resulting in over 400 cases of partial or full blindness.

Finally, the list includes over 12,000 ferret rounds. These are projectiles filled with liquefied or powdered chemicals designed to punch through barriers like glass, particle board, and walls to spread tear gas on the other side.

“If it can go through glass, particle board, and walls, it can go through a body.”

Rohini Haar

The indiscriminate use of less-lethal chemical weapons against nonviolent demonstrators has been a hallmark of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Neither CBP nor the Department of Homeland Security responded to requests for comment regarding the continued stockpiling of these arsenals.