By Karen Robes Meeks
About 14,800 pairs of counterfeit Nike shoes were seized by US Customs and Border Protection agents at the LA/Long Beach Seaport with the help of officials at the Apparel, Footwear and Textiles Center of Excellence and US Homeland Security Investigations special agents assigned at the Trade Enforcement Coordination Center.
The shipment of shoes that came from China in two cargo containers were misdeclared as “napkins.” They were counterfeits of the brand’s Air Jordan and Air Max shoes, according to CBP.
“Intellectual property theft is a crime that leads to lost revenue for American industry, a loss of American jobs, and often poses a threat to public health and safety,” said Carlos C. Martel, CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles. “CBP is the frontline that protects American ingenuity, without any doubt, one of the most valuable assets of our country.”
