$6 million in counterfeit watches intercepted by CBP officers in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI—U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Cincinnati seized a shipment of 52 counterfeit watches from Colombia on November 28. Had these goods been genuine, the shipment would have had a combined Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $6.37 million.

The shipment was heading to a residence in Washington when officers pulled the parcel for inspection. Officers seized 52 designer-branded watches for bearing counterfeit versions of Richard Mille, Rolex, Hublot, Cartier, and Casio trademarks. The items were deemed to be inauthentic by CBP’s Centers of Excellence and Expertise, the agency’s trade experts.

“We continue to enjoy unprecedented growth in e-commerce, and this growth serves as an ever-larger driving force behind the U.S. and world economies. It’s extremely important, as our trade avenues expand, our focus on enforcing intellectual property rights violations expands with it.,” said Director of Field Operations, LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Chicago Field Office. “We will continue to execute these types of enforcement operations to further protect legitimate businesses and consumers from intellectual property thieves.” 

Illegitimate sales are some of the most profitable transnational crimes. Counterfeiters sell inauthentic versions of popular products in response to trends, often through online sources, which adversely impacts legitimate U.S. businesses. These items, including fake medications; perfumes and cosmetics; children’s toys and costumes; fashion, jewelry, and luxury products; and unsafe electronics and automative parts, can pose serious health and safety risks to American consumers as they are often made with substandard or harmful materials.

CBP helps disrupt these illegal practices. In fiscal year 2025, CBP seized nearly 79 million counterfeit items with a combined MSRP value of over $7.3 billion, had these items been genuine. Counterfeit clothing, consumer electronics, toys, and medications were among the top seized items.

To learn more about what CBP is doing every day to protect Americans from counterfeit goods, and more about the Truth Behind Counterfeits public awareness campaign, please visit: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/fakegoodsrealdangers.

CBP protects the intellectual property rights of American businesses through an aggressive Intellectual Property Rights enforcement program, safeguarding them from unfair competition and use for malicious intent while upholding American innovation and ingenuity. Suspected violations can be reported to CBP here.

If you have any information regarding suspected fraud or illegal trade activity, please contact CBP through the e-Allegations Online Trade Violations Reporting System or by calling 1-800-BE-ALERT. IPR violations can also be reported to the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center at https://www.iprcenter.gov/referral/ or by telephone at 1-866-IPR-2060.

Follow CBP on X @CBPChicago and @DFOChicago. Visit CBP’s YouTube channel to learn more about how CBP’s Office of Field Operations secures our nation’s borders.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency. The 67,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We enforce safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation's security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.