Customs agents seize nearly $13M in fake Cialis pills, designer labels at California port

LOS ANGELES — Check those labels.

Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently seized nearly 58,000 counterfeit products arriving in a containerized cargo shipment from China at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport.

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The seized items included more than 47,000 erectile dysfunction pills marketed under the brand name Cialis, and more than 10,000 pieces of footwear and apparel in violation of the Christian Dior, Versace, Gucci, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Nike Air and Swoosh designs and registered and recorded trademarks, the agency stated in a news release.

If genuine, the seized merchandise would have had an estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price of more than $12.7 million.

The seizure was coordinated with import specialists from the Consumer Products and Mass Merchandising; Apparel, Footwear and Textiles; and the Pharmaceuticals, Health and Chemicals Centers of Excellence and Expertise. All of the seized counterfeit items have been turned over to the Los Angeles Police Department’s Commercial Crimes Division, Illicit Pharmaceutical and Counterfeit Unit for further investigation, CPB stated.

“One important aspect of CBP’s vast mission is to protect American consumers and industry from trade fraud,” said Donald R. Kusser, CBP Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport port director. “I am extremely proud of the work performed by CBP Officers at the Los Angeles / Long Beach seaport to prevent illicit goods from entering the United States.”

CBP personnel nationwide seized 26,503 shipments containing counterfeit goods in 2020 that would have been worth nearly $1.3 billion had they been genuine, the agency stated.

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