U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that a large shipment containing counterfeit Rolex and Louis Vuitton products was intercepted on its way to Georgia from South Korea. The seizure occurred on August 18 at the Louisville port in Kentucky when customs officers flagged the shipment for inspection.
Inside, they discovered 152 counterfeit watches suspected to bear Rolex and Louis Vuitton trademarks, alongside 32 pairs of fake shoes thought to imitate Gucci branding. The agency’s centers identified these items as counterfeit and confiscated them.
The estimated value of these goods, if genuine, would exceed $9.3 million.
Philip Onken, the port director in Louisville, commented that “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.” He emphasized that CBP plays a crucial role in intercepting such threats to ensure economic security.
Officials advised consumers to buy only from official trademark holders or authorized sellers to prevent ending up with poorly made replicas.
In a related incident back in December 2025, CBP confiscated roughly $425,125 worth of counterfeit designer items, including watches and handbags, at a port of entry in Rochester, New York.
Additionally, CBP noted that counterfeit products are often sold in various online platforms and flea markets, produced in unregulated conditions in foreign countries, which can inadvertently support organized crime.
