ICE, CBP, LAPD seize counterfeit products worth over $32 million at Los Angeles/ Long Beach Seaport
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LOS ANGELES/Canadian-Media: Counterfeit products including more than one million erectile dysfunction pills, footwear, belts, purses, and headphones worth $32 million arriving in three containerized cargo shipments from China were seized by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in coordination with The Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Commercial Crimes Division, Illicit Pharmaceutical and Counterfeit Unit (IPCU).
“Commercial piracy and product counterfeiting undermine the U.S. economy, rob Americans of jobs, stifle American innovation and promote other types of crimes,” said David A. Prince, Special Agent in Charge for ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles. “Intellectual property theft amounts to economic sabotage, which is why HSI will aggressively pursue product counterfeiters and those who sell counterfeit products.”
CBP’s strategic partnership with HSI and LAPD’s IPCU is critical in disrupting the transnational criminal organizations behind these smuggling operations of counterfeit products which can expose you and your family to health and safety risks while the proceeds support criminal enterprises.
“It is vital to maintain partnerships with CBP and HSI to weaken the supply networks and disrupt the businesses of criminal gangs, organized crime, and terrorist groups,” said Captain III Lillian Carranza, Commanding Officer of the LAPD’s Commercial Crimes Division.
Every year, CBP which seizes millions of counterfeit goods from countries around the world as part of its mission to protect U.S. businesses and consumers, was able to seize in 2020 worth $1.3 billion in 26,503 shipments.
HSI is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security and focuses not only on keeping counterfeit products off our nation’s streets but also on dismantling the criminal organizations behind this activity.
Anyone with information regarding counterfeit crimes is asked to contact Commercial Crimes Detectives at (213) 486–5940. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1–877-LAPD-24–7 (877–527–3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1–800–222-TIPS (800–222–8477) or go directly to lacrimestoppers.org.
Tipsters may also visit www.lapdonline.org and click on “Anonymous Web Tips” under the “Get Involved-Crime Stoppers” menu to submit an online tip. Lastly, tipsters may also download the “P-3 Tips” mobile application and select the LA Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program.