News: Nearly $30 Million in Counterfeit Goods Seized in New Orleans

On this episode of counterfeit seizers in the United States… As much as we’d like to let out a chuckle in disbelief at how often this is happening, it is an all too real reality, albeit a disappointing one. In all seriousness, another massive counterfeit goods seizure took place in New Orleans, Louisiana recently and all in all, it’s amounted to a sizeable YTD dollar amount. According to US Customs and Border Protection’s website, “the New Orleans Field Office ports seized a total of $29,532,583 worth of counterfeit goods had they been genuine, between January 1st and November 30th, 2022.”  

Image Credit: USCBP

To shed some light on just how extensive the accumulation of seized designer good is, USBP shared that in November, a package weighing in at nearly 20 pounds, declared as “jackets with a value of $90,” was actually found to be a plethora of counterfeit merchandise. “The package consisted of one box containing sixteen counterfeit bags; three Louis Vuitton backpacks, three Louis Vuitton handbags, three Louis Vuitton purses, three Gucci messenger bags, three Coach purses, and one Saint Laurent purse,” the agency shared. 

Although this event was successful, it is estimated that out of the millions of packages that come into the United States almost every single day, that an equal amount containing illicit goods are able to trickle through. In effort to educate the public, local law enrichment agencies, in partnership with US Customs and Border Patrol, have issued regular warnings and informative guidelines on how to shop safely online, and even in person.  

Image Credit: USCBP

“CBP officers throughout my field office remain committed to stopping counterfeit smuggling, taking profits from organized crime, and helping protect our communities from potentially hazardous knockoffs,” says Steven Stavinoha, New Orleans Director of Field Operations. Among the many tips offered to shoppers this year, one is something we’ve all heard before- if the price of a product seems too good to be true, it probably is…

To read more about this incident, and to learn more about how you can protect yourself when shopping, visit this link: https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/new-orleans-field-office-seizes-295-million-worth-counterfeits

Image Credit: USCBP

What are your thoughts on the increase in events such as this one? Will you have your guard up when shopping online now? Do you think more can/should be done to quell the influx of counterfeit goods from flooding the market and, moreover, how do you feel this affects brands selling your favorite luxury goods? Let us know your thoughts…

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