An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  • Archived Content
    In an effort to keep CBP.gov current, the archive contains content from a previous administration or is otherwise outdated.
  1. Home
  2. Newsroom
  3. Local Media Release
  4. CBP Laredo Import Team Seizes $290K in Counterfeit Handbags, Electronics

CBP Laredo Import Team Seizes $290K in Counterfeit Handbags, Electronics

Release Date
Wed, 03/23/2011

Laredo, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection import specialists from the Laredo port of entry discovered yet another shipment of counterfeit handbags and electronics goods that allegedly infringed on more than a dozen trademarks and copyrights recorded with CBP and carried a retail value of nearly $290,000.

CBP import specialists from the Laredo Import Specialist Enforcement Team (ISET) team recently targeted a shipment containing handbags and electronics for an enforcement examination. During the examination, conducted at the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge, CBP import specialists and officers noted that the merchandise carried various brand names that are either trademark or copyright recorded with CBP, including brands such as SD, LG, iPod, LV, Hello Kitty, Louis Vuitton, Abercrombie and Fitch, Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh and the Love L ve, L ve interlocking hearts trademark.

CBP import specialists detained the shipment pending verification of the possible trademark infringement. After the importer was unable to produce a letter of authorization for the use of these trademarks and copyrights, the ISET team seized the merchandise on March 10.

The merchandise included 102 boxes containing 1,466 card players, 368 woofers and subwoofers and 3,598 handbags infringing on a variety of trademarks and copyrights recorded with CBP. The merchandise has a combined domestic value of more than $6,000 and a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $289,710.

"This is a large shipment of electronics and handbags that our import specialists discovered had infringed on more than a dozen trademarks and copyrights," said Joe Uribe, acting CBP port director for Laredo. "It underscores the importance of CBP enforcing intellectual property rights law to protect not only the rightful trademark holder but the consumer as well."

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021