MILLIONS of dollars' worth of counterfeit shoes and watches SEIZED, says CBP

Millions of dollars' worth of counterfeit Rolex and Louis Vuitton items were seized from the Republic of Korea on their way to Georgia, says U.S. Customs and Border Protection to Blaze News.

CBP officers found the alleged counterfeit items secreted inside a shipment passing through the port of Louisville in Kentucky on Aug. 18, after pulling a parcel for inspection.

'The distribution of counterfeit goods defrauds US consumers and has a significant adverse impact on businesses.'

The seizure included 152 counterfeit watches with suspected Rolex and Louis Vuitton trademarks and 32 pairs of knockoff shoes with suspected Gucci trademarks, according to CBP.

The agency's Centers of Excellence and Expertise determined the items to be counterfeit and seized them.

CBP estimated that if the items were real, they would be worth a total of over $9.3 million.

"The distribution of counterfeit goods defrauds U.S. consumers and has a significant adverse impact on businesses by robbing our country of jobs and tax revenues," said Philip Onken, the port director at Louisville.

"CBP is the first line of defense, and our officers intercepted this threat before these fake items were introduced into the commerce and reached consumers, which provides economic security for our nation," he added.

Officials said consumers should purchase items directly from the trademark holder or from authorized retailers to avoid poorly made knockoffs.

In a similar instance from Dec. 2025, CBP seized about $425,125 worth of counterfeit watches, shoes, handbags and jewelry at the port of entry in Rochester, New York.

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"Counterfeit versions of popular brands are regularly sold in online marketplaces and flea markets," read a statement from CBP.

"Not only are counterfeit goods produced in unregulated and potentially exploitative environments in foreign countries," the agency added, "but the profits from their sales provide a funding stream for organized crime."

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