U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials seized $123 million worth of fake National Football League merchandise ahead of Super Bowl LIV in Miami this weekend — quadrupling last year’s haul.
The CBP and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations agency announced the record-breaking seizure of more than 176,000 counterfeit football items in Miami Beach on Thursday. Much of the team gear was prevented from getting onto U.S. streets by customs officers who inspect imports at sea, land, and air ports, though some items were found for sale in the city and elsewhere.
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“Every day, cargo containers containing billions of dollars’ worth of counterfeit goods enter the United States through its land, sea and air ports of entry,” Steve Francis, director of HSI’s Intellectual Property Rights Center, said in a statement. “This year’s record-breaking ‘Operation Team Player’ results affirm HSI’s commitment to protecting American consumers, the economy, and legitimate business by ensuring Super Bowl 54 is not compromised by transnational criminal networks exploiting fan enthusiasm for illicit profits.”
Federal agents and officers have been in Miami for several weeks tracking down leads. HSI agents who investigate transnational smuggling operations such as this one seized items at local flea markets, retail outlets, and street vendors. Agents found fake jerseys, jewelry, hats, cellphone accessories, and more.
NFL Vice President of Legal Affairs Dolores DiBella applauded the federal effort, and Miami-Dade police and said it strongly supports HSI and CBP’s work.
Last year, the U.S. government said it seized 285,000 inauthentic NFL items worth $24 million ahead of the big game. The Super Bowl has increasingly seen counterfeit items produced and sold leading up to the game. For example, in 2012, agents seized only $4.8 million worth of gear.
