Customs and Border Protection officials said Thursday that agents in the Houston area seized fake World Cup goods worth over $6 million.
The shipments included 69 packages of fake Apple watches and earbuds, 12,000 Adidas soccer jerseys, 4,500 Adidas soccer balls, 4,400 pairs of athletic shoes, and an assortment of perfume and toys, customs officials said.
Customs officials said the goods were seized by agents at the ports of Houston and Galveston for violations of intellectual property rights, including use of the FIFA and 2026 World Cup logos.
A Customs and Border Protection account on X posted pictures of some of the seized fake merchandise.
The shipments containing the fake goods were headed for destinations inside and outside the U.S. when they were intercepted by the customs agents. Most of the shipments, officials said, came from China, adding that “over 90% of all counterfeit seizures occur in the international mail and express environments.”
Customs agents at Miami International Airport also intercepted fake World Cup goods. On Tuesday, the agents stopped a shipment of 8,400 fake Nike soccer jerseys with a domestic value of $252,000 and a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $840,000, officials said.
The shipment, which was listed as containing T-shirts, was headed from China to Brazil.
It was sent by the same sender and consignee as another shipment seized by Miami customs agents on June 8. That shipment contained 7,857 fake Nike soccer jerseys worth over $412,000 domestically, with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of over $1.3 million, Customs and Border Protection officials said.
