$1.2 Million Worth of Fake Designer Watches Seized at LAX

This week U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers revealed they recently discovered a shipment of counterfeit timepieces at Los Angeles International Airport. On August 8 officers seized 215 watches bearing counterfeit Rolex, Louis Vuitton, Cartier and Omega registered trademarks.

According to the CBP, the merchandise arrived from China via air cargo. CBP officers discovered the counterfeit merchandise after inspecting the shipment manifested as “watches” with a declared value of $173 and weighing 68 pounds.

The estimated value of the seized shipment, if the pieces were sold at the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of the genuine timepieces, would have been $1,250,500.

Todd Owen, the director of the Los Angeles Field Operations office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, stated, “This seizure of these trademarked watches is testament to our officers’ vigilance in protecting the intellectual property rights of manufacturers and retailers. It is just another example of the caliber of the CBP officers in performing their day-to-day duties.”

According to the CBP, they seized approximately $1.26 billion worth of counterfeit goods originating from overseas in 2012 alone. Nearly $186 million of that was in counterfeit watches and jewelry.

Photos courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Adrienne Faurote

Editor in Chief · Haute Time

As a former New Yorker, now a “Miamian,” Adrienne Faurote joined Haute Living in August of 2021. She currently serves as the Haute Media Group Editor-in-Chief, overseeing all editorial platforms within the Haute Media Group while also maintaining her role as Fashion, Jewelry & Watch Director. Prior to her position at Haute Living, Faurote was the Market Editor at Marie Claire Magazine US, amassing over ten years in the industry, becoming an authoritative voice in all things fashion, jewelry, and watches.