CBP Seizes Nearly $3 Million in Counterfeit Gucci and Louis Vuitton Goods at Dulles Airport

In a significant enforcement action to protect intellectual property rights and consumer safety, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Washington Dulles International Airport seized a shipment of counterfeit luxury goods valued at approximately $2.95 million on August 24, 2023. The shipment, which arrived on August 22, was declared as “sticker storage bag” but contained 74 boxes filled with designer counterfeit items.

The seized goods included 4,213 belts bearing various designer brand names, 176 Louis Vuitton handbags, 39 Gucci shirts, 37 pairs of Gucci pants, and six Louis Vuitton shirts. CBP’s Consumer Products and Mass Merchandise Center of Excellence and Expertise (CEE), along with the Apparel, Footwear and Textiles CEE, collaborated with trademark holders to verify the authenticity of the products, confirming all 4,471 items were counterfeit.

The counterfeit products were appraised at the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $2.95 million, underscoring the scale of the illicit shipment. The goods were destined for a drop shipping company based in Dallas, which is now the subject of an ongoing investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents.

Casey Durst, director of field operations for CBP’s Baltimore Field Office, emphasized the impact of such seizures, stating, “This is a significant seizure of counterfeit consumer goods that steals revenue from trademark holders, robs consumers of the high quality they expect with designer brand names, and more importantly, hits a disreputable seller where it hurts most–in the pocket.” Durst reaffirmed CBP’s commitment to working alongside HSI and consumer safety partners to identify and intercept counterfeit and potentially dangerous goods.

Data from 2019 highlights the persistent challenge posed by counterfeit goods entering the United States. On average, CBP officers seized $4.3 million worth of products with intellectual property rights (IPR) violations daily. That year, CBP and HSI confiscated 27,599 shipments containing counterfeit goods, a decrease from 33,810 seizures in 2018. However, the total estimated MSRP of seized goods increased to over $1.5 billion in 2019, up from nearly $1.4 billion the previous year.

The rise of e-commerce has contributed to the influx of low-value packages imported into the U.S., with 144 million express shipments and 463 million international mail shipments recorded in 2019. Over 90 percent of all IPR seizures occur within these international mail and express shipment channels.

China remains the predominant source of counterfeit and pirated goods seized by CBP, accounting for 83 percent of all IPR seizures and 92 percent of the estimated MSRP value of seized counterfeit products.

This latest seizure at Dulles Airport underscores ongoing efforts by CBP and HSI to combat the importation of counterfeit goods, protect American businesses’ intellectual property rights, and safeguard consumers from potentially harmful products. The investigation into the Dallas-based drop shipping company continues as authorities seek to disrupt the distribution networks behind these illicit goods.