Texas Border Patrol intercepts shipment of 17,500 counterfeit cigarettes

article

Boxes containing 17,500 cartons of cigarettes valued at more than $729,000 were seized by CBP in Laredo for bearing counterfeit marks. (Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

TEXAS - "An attempt to transport a shipment of counterfeit cigarettes valued at more than $729,000 went up in smoke as U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Laredo Port of Entry intercepted and seized the shipment this weekend," said CBP officials in a news release on Tuesday.

Counterfeit Cigarettes Seized

The backstory:

CBP officials say a shipment of cigarettes from Vietnam arrived in the U.S. at Miami Seaport and was sent to Laredo where it was placed on hold and detained. Once it arrived in Laredo, Texas, the shipment was examined.

The shipment contained 17,500 cartons of counterfeit cigarettes and was seized on April 25. If the cigarettes were genuine, CBP officials said they would have been worth $729,400.

Dig deeper:

CBP has the authority to detain, seize, forfeit, and ultimately destroy imported merchandise if it bears an infringing trademark or copyright that has been registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office or the United States Copyright Office and has subsequently been recorded with CBP through the e-Recordation program. 

Other violations can include misclassification of merchandise, false country-of-origin markings, health and safety issues, and valuation issues.

It is against the law to import counterfeit or pirated merchandise and individual consumers may be liable for a fine even if they did not intend to import counterfeit or pirated merchandise.

What they're saying:

"Our CBP officers and import specialists continue to maintain their vigilance and exercise due diligence to ensure that fake goods do not enter U.S. commerce," said Port Director Albert Flores, Laredo Port of Entry. "They utilize their training, experience and information from the registered trademark owners to authenticate imported merchandise and when they encounter counterfeits to promptly detain and seize such items, thereby protecting the U.S. economy and the consumer."