INDIANAPOLIS — Not only are soccer fans making their way to the country for the FIFA World Cup 2026, but so is fake merchandise.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it seized 18 shipments of counterfeit World Cup jerseys, shirts, beanies, and other merchandise from June 1-5.
Officers intercepted 1,578 items, that if genuine, would be worth $134,594, CBP said.
The effort, called "Operation Winner's Circle" by CBP, used intelligence gathering and analysis of past major events. Similar operations are being conducted across the country.
“Sports fans often pay big money for sports memorabilia,” said Indianapolis Port Director, Brett Mueller. “Counterfeit sports memorabilia de-funds our sports organizations, funds criminal networks, and scams the fans. Officers in Indianapolis work hard each day to protect our domestic businesses and American consumers.”
The following items were seized during the operation:
- 530 jerseys
- 380 beanies
- 349 Puma, Adidas, and Nike shirts associated with the tournament
- 319 other related items
CBP said most of the items originated from Honk Kong and were destined to both in and outside the United States.
CBP is now reminding consumers to shop from reputable online sources.
E-commerce sales have contributed to large volumes of low-value, small packages being imported into the United States. Over 90% of all counterfeit seizures occur in the international mail and express environments, which are channels for small, e-commerce packages destined for the U.S. Many of these shipments contain counterfeit goods that pose the same health, safety, and economic security risks as large, containerized shipments.
To learn more about CBP, click here.
