CBP officers in Cincinnati intercepted $19 million MSRP in designer watches and high-end fashion accessories

CINCINNATI—U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the port of Cincinnati stopped a shipment on June 3 containing 111 pieces of counterfeit items such as watches, glasses, and headwear. Had these items been genuine, the shipment would have had a combined Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of over $19.26 million.

The shipment from Colombia was headed for a residence in Puerto Rico when officers pulled the parcel for inspection. The examination revealed: 44 various Rolex watch models, 4 Richard Mille watches, 10 Cartier watches, 20 hats from Prada, ALO, Gucci, and Coach, and 62 pairs of designer branded sunglasses and glasses. The items were deemed to be inauthentic by CBP’s Centers of Excellence and Expertise, the agency’s trade experts, and were seized for bearing counterfeit version of registered and recorded trademarks.

“The trade of fake goods, and the widespread violation of private intellectual property rights threaten the American economy, as well as our national security,” said Cincinnati Port Director, Eric Zizelman “We will continue to put substantial efforts and resources into protecting our economy and American consumers, as well as securing our homeland and keeping our families safe.”

Illegitimate sales are some of the most profitable transnational crimes. Counterfeiters sell inauthentic versions of popular products in response to trends, often through online sources, which adversely impacts legitimate U.S. businesses. These items, including fake medications, perfumes, and cosmetics, children’s toys and costumes, fashion, jewelry, and luxury products, and unsafe electronics and automative parts, can pose serious health and safety risks to American consumers as they are often made with substandard or harmful materials.

CBP reminds consumers to shop from reputable online sources. E-Commerce sales have contributed to large volumes of low-value, small packages being imported into the U.S. Over 90% of all counterfeit seizures occur in the international mail and express environments, which are channels that small, e-commerce packages destined for the U.S. travel through. Many of these shipments contain counterfeit goods that pose the same health, safety, and economic security risks as large, containerized shipments.

To learn more about what CBP is doing every day to protect Americans from counterfeit goods, and more about the Truth Behind Counterfeits public awareness campaign, please visit: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/fakegoodsrealdangers.

CBP protects the intellectual property rights of American businesses through an aggressive Intellectual Property Rights enforcement program, safeguarding them from unfair competition and use for malicious intent while upholding American innovation and ingenuity.

Suspected violations can be reported to CBP here.