Fake Cartier watches with $28 million retail value seized entering US from China

Published September 30, 2026 2:05pm ET



EXCLUSIVE — Federal law enforcement in Chicago seized an international shipment of 200 counterfeit Cartier watches concealed in two packages mailed from China.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Chicago O’Hare International Airport intercepted two shipments on Sept. 18 that contained 200 lookalike designer watches that, if authentic, would have retailed for $28 million, the Washington Examiner has learned. The packages were sent from Hong Kong, China, and bound for California, but were seized before making it to their final destination on time.

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