Nearly $114K Worth of Fake World Cup Gear Seized by Officers in Texas

There were four shipments of counterfeit Mexican national team jerseys worth around $65,000 seized in Texas.

EL PASO, Texas — Law enforcement agents in Texas have seized nearly $114,000 in counterfeit World Cup jerseys labeled to represent Mexico, Germany and Brazil.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection in El Paso on Monday announced officers intercepted hundreds of fake jerseys meant for retail sales. Authorities didn’t immediately announce any arrests.

CBP officers on Thursday stopped four shipments of counterfeit Mexican national team soccer jerseys worth an estimated $66,390. The shipments from Hong Kong were bound for El Paso.

Officers days earlier stopped four other shipments worth $47,340. Those counterfeit jerseys were labeled for Mexico, Germany and Brazil.

Agency spokesman Hector Mancha says fake jerseys are generally of poor quality and can post health and safety hazards, plus the crime involves trade and intellectual property theft.