RICHMOND, Va. — Less than a week after the city of Richmond announced a pause to Operation Vaporize, the Yemeni American Association is pushing back against the initiative, which was designed to crack down on convenience stores operating with code violations, improper business licenses and, in some cases, illegal drug activity.
The association's concerns are outlined in a letter from Krudys Law Firm in Richmond, which claims that Yemeni-American vape and convenience store owners have been devastated, leaving them and their families in debt, with no income and rapidly deteriorating inventory.
Zakarya Maqshar, an operator of Green Stop Convenience, said he is fighting to reopen his store, which has since been broken into twice after the city closed his business — citing multiple code violations and an improper certificate of occupancy and business license.
"I'm hurt," Maqshar said. "I follow the book to the T. I don't have any drugs or anything in my store and they shouldn't target my community, period."
Maqshar said he attempted to address licensing issues before the shutdown.
"I previously went to the city two months before the shutdown to renew my business license and I got the business license in 2025," Maqshar said. "If I was notified, I would have went to the city corrected and did everything I could to stay open."
Maqshar is echoing concerns specifically addressed in the letter, which alleges that other ethnic groups operating similar stores have largely escaped scrutiny from the city.
According to Department of Planning and Review Director Kevin Vonck, since December, the city has identified 97 businesses that appear to be "retail tobacco" establishments, and all 97 businesses — regardless of whether they are suspected of illegal drug activity — will be inspected.
Currently, 67 businesses have been inspected, with nearly half of those businesses placarded and receiving notices of violation for being unsafe. Vonck said the effort is "to make sure all are zoning and building code compliant – for the health and safety of themselves and their customers."
The letter says those orange placards, which mark stores that have been temporarily shut down, are damaging the strong customer relationships shop owners have built with the community. Store owners have appealed to Mayor Danny Avula and City Council for help.
Dean Alasaad, a Yemeni community activist, said city leadership holds the key to resolving the situation.
"The biggest hurdle that we have and we heard from multiple people in the city — we are not the people who gives the last call, the mayor is the one who gives the last call," Alasaad said.
CBS 6 reached out to Avula's office for a response to the letter and were told he is carefully reviewing it.
The Yemeni American Association says it plans to speak publicly at Tuesday's City Council meeting to take up their concerns directly with council members.
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