On Wednesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said officers in Kentucky confiscated millions of dollars with in fake luxury items. CBP officers in Louisville intercepted three separate shipments of counterfeit jewelry via Hong Kong and Taiwan last week and Monday. Photo courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Wednesday officers in Kentucky recently confiscated millions of dollars in fake luxury items.
CBP officers in Louisville intercepted three separate shipments of counterfeit jewelry via Hong Kong and Taiwan on Friday and Monday.
“During the holiday shopping season, it is important to remain aware that criminals try to scam shoppers into buying low quality and potentially dangerous counterfeit items,” according to LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, field director at the Chicago CBP office.
Officers intercepted three luxury counterfeit shipments this week.
On Friday, two parcels from Hong Kong — one bound for Staten Island, N.Y., and the other for Texas — yielded 400 fake Cartier watches, 26 Moncler hats, 30 Chrome Hearts hats, eight Cartier watches and 13 Audemars Piguet timepieces.
A third package from Taiwan, destined for Houston and seized Monday, contained 80 counterfeit Rolex Cosmograph and 80 Rolex Day-Date watches.
CBP experts deemed the seized items inauthentic counterfeits which illegally displayed protected trademarks of Cartier, Audemars Piguet, Moncler, Chrome Hearts and Rolex.
The goods, if authentic, would have carried a combined retail price exceeding $18.6 million.
“Our officers do an incredible job targeting shipments and identifying these violations, working tirelessly every day to protect the consumer and our economy,” Chicago’s Sutton-Burke said in a statement.
U.S. authorities may detain, seize, forfeit or destroy imported goods bearing registered trademarks or copyrights recorded with the U.S. Patent and Trademark or Copyright Office.
On Monday, the agency announced the border agents in the region uncovered a case of unregulated Tramadol pain pills with an estimated street value at $150,000.
Federal officials say counterfeit goods damage the economy and risk consumer safety.
America’s border agency warned holiday shoppers to buy only from reputable retailers and avoid deals seemingly too good to be true.
Further federal violations can include misclassification, false origin markings, health or safety risks and valuation discrepancies.
In fiscal year 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized nearly 79 million counterfeit items with a potential street value of more than $7.3 billion with top categories including clothing, consumer electronics, toys and medications.
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President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn of the White House after arriving on Marine One in Washington on Tuesday. Trump said people were “starting to learn” the benefits of his tariff regime. Photo by Graeme Sloan/UPI | License Photo
