Federal Authorities Seize $28 Million in Counterfeit Watches
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced the recent seizure of 200 counterfeit watches — amounting to a potential of $28 million in fraud.
A July 17 release from the agency said that the shipment, seized at the Port of Louisville, was sent from Hong Kong and bound for Illinois.
The package was pulled for inspection, leading to the discovery with the 200 watches bearing supposed Audemars Piguet trademarks.
Audemars Piguet is a Swiss luxury brand.
If the watches had been sold at suggested retail price, they would have been valued at $28 million — or $140,000 per watch.
2 counterfeit Rolex & Audemars Piguet watches were seized by Louisville CBP. The shipment was from Hong Kong heading to PA. Had these been real their MSRP would’ve been $177K. In FY 2025, seizures from China & Hong Kong accounted for approximately 67% of counterfeits seized. pic.twitter.com/lpwnHmYdkd
— CBP Chicago (@CBPChicago) June 22, 2026
“Counterfeit goods are poor quality products costing U.S. businesses billions of dollars a year while robbing our country of jobs and tax revenues,” Louisville’s Port Director, Philip Onken, said in a statement.
“Officers are trained to identify illicit shipments and work diligently for American consumers by stopping the flow of unlawful trade.”
Also at the Port of Louisville, authorities seized 375 counterfeit Audemars Piguet watches with a more than $54 million potential sale price.
Customs and Border Protection noted in the release that “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,” the release added.
Such items could include perfumes, cosmetics, fashion pieces, jewelry, and other luxury items.
Beware of Rolex watches arriving from Hong Kong. CBP officers in Indianapolis seized 4 brand new Rolex,1 brand new Patek, & 1 brand new Audemars watches hidden in bubble wrap and the empty boxes for them for trademark violation. Rolex watches are from Switzerland not Hong Kong. pic.twitter.com/gARJokXUF1
— CBP Chicago (@CBPChicago) July 17, 2026
They could also include unsafe automotive parts or electronics — posing a “serious health and safety risks to American consumers as they are often made with substandard or harmful materials.”
The rise of e-commerce has led to “large volumes of low-value, small packages being imported into the U.S.”
“Many counterfeit seizures occur in the international mail and express environments, which are channels through which small, e-commerce packages destined for the U.S. travel,” the agency added.
“Many of these shipments contain counterfeit goods that pose the same health, safety, and economic security risks as large, containerized shipments.”
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