Latest news with #LaFondaD
Indianapolis Star
08-05-2025
- Indianapolis Star
More than 200 counterfeit watches seized at Chicago O'Hare Airport by border officials
If the seized watches were real, border officials estimate they'd be worth over $6.5 million. Show Caption U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it confiscated more than 200 counterfeit watches earlier this week at O'Hare Airport in Chicago. Photos provided by the department show the seized watches attempting to emulate high-value models, including the Rolex Submariner, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Omega Speedmaster. The shipment arrived from China on May 4 and was set to be delivered to an address in Bensonville, Illinois. CBP claimed in a May 6 news release that the 243 watches seized would have a retail value of over $6.64 million if they had been authentic. 'The distribution of counterfeit goods defrauds U.S. consumers and has a significant adverse impact on businesses by robbing our country of jobs and tax revenues,' LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director of Field Operations for the Chicago Field Office, said in the statement. Knock-off watch seizures continue The knock-off watch seizure continues a pattern for CBP as it stated it intercepted 145 shipments of counterfeit watches in April at O'Hare in a statement released earlier this month. The department said that the shipments originated from Hong Kong and China. The 516 counterfeit watches emulated brands including Rolex, Patek Philippe, Cartier and others. CBP said the that the April seizures would have had a retail value of over $9.22 million if they had been authentic. The department said that U.S. consumers spend more than $100 billion every year on knock off goods, falling victim to approximately 20% of the counterfeits that are illegally sold worldwide.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
More than 200 counterfeit watches seized at Chicago O'Hare Airport by border officials
More than 200 counterfeit watches seized at Chicago O'Hare Airport by border officials U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it confiscated more than 200 counterfeit watches earlier this week at O'Hare Airport in Chicago. Photos provided by the department show the seized watches attempting to emulate high-value models, including the Rolex Submariner, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Omega Speedmaster. Handout photo of a fake Rolex watch seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at O'Hare Airport in Chicago on May 4. The shipment arrived from China on May 4 and was set to be delivered to an address in Bensonville, Illinois. CBP claimed in a May 6 news release that the 243 watches seized would have a retail value of over $6.64 million if they had been authentic. 'The distribution of counterfeit goods defrauds U.S. consumers and has a significant adverse impact on businesses by robbing our country of jobs and tax revenues,' LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director of Field Operations for the Chicago Field Office, said in the statement. Knock-off watch seizures continue The knock-off watch seizure continues a pattern for CBP as it stated it intercepted 145 shipments of counterfeit watches in April at O'Hare in a statement released earlier this month. ADVERTISEMENT The department said that the shipments originated from Hong Kong and China. The 516 counterfeit watches emulated brands including Rolex, Patek Philippe, Cartier and others. CBP said the that the April seizures would have had a retail value of over $9.22 million if they had been authentic. The department said that U.S. consumers spend more than $100 billion every year on knock off goods, falling victim to approximately 20% of the counterfeits that are illegally sold worldwide. James Powel is a trending news reporter with USA Today Network. Email him at jpowel@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Border agents catch over 200 fake watches at Chicago O'Hare Airport
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Why is egg smuggling dangerous? Hatching eggs seized in Louisville
Amid national concerns over the price of eggs, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently seized more than three dozen hatching eggs in Louisville in recent weeks, according to a news release. It's nothing new. In 2024, 25 shipments containing 519 eggs were seized in Louisville. Those eggs came from Turkey, Belgium, Romania and Singapore, the release said. And earlier this year, CBP said agents had stopped at least 90 people from smuggling eggs into the country from Mexico during the first two months of 2025. Why is this such a problem? Here's a look at what's been happening. U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized the eggs in three shipments in Louisville: A March 6 shipment from Turkey to New York and Nevada. A March 16 shipment also from Turkey and also headed to New York and Nevada. A March 19 shipment from Romania headed to Costa Rica. It is illegal to bring fresh eggs, raw chicken, unprocessed avian products and live birds into the U.S., the CPB said, adding that travelers should declare all agriculture products to customs officers and agriculture specialists. 'Failure to declare may lead to potential fines and penalties,' the agency said. LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, field operations director at the CBP office in Chicago, said the food supply in the US is "constantly at risk to diseases not known to occur in the United States." The seizures help "ensure the United States is safe from harmful diseases," she said in a news release about the Louisville egg seizures. U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a reminder that raw egg imports from Mexico are prohibited due to health concerns regarding Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza or bird flu. An additional concern about raw eggs being imported from Mexico include the potential transmission of Virulent Newcastle disease or VND, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said. Egg seizures: Texas customs officers scramble plans, stop at least 90 from smuggling eggs into the US Reporting by USA TODAY showed that as of mid-March, eggs jumped 10.4% in February after a 15.2% rise in January, when seasonally adjusted, according to the latest consumer price index. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, average U.S. city prices for a dozen large grade A eggs in recent months were: December 2024: $4.14 January 2025: $4.95 February 2025: $5.90 Courier-Journal staff have been tracking prices for one dozen large grade A eggs. Here's a look at the recent numbers. Feb. 5, $4.19 Feb. 12, $4.99 (limit two per shopper, according to the app) Feb. 19, $5.49 (limit two per shopper, according to the app) Feb. 26, $5.49 (limit two per shopper, according to the app) March 5, $5.49 March 12, $5.49 March 19, $5.99 March 26, $4.99 Feb. 5, $3.87 Feb. 12, $3.87 Feb. 19, $4.99 Feb. 26, $5.53 March 5, $6.53 March 12, $4.97 March 19, $4.97 March 26, $4.97 Feb. 5, $5.46 Feb. 12, $5.46 Feb. 19, $5.97 Feb. 26, $5.97 March 5, $5.97 March 12, $5.97 March 19, $5.97 March 26, $4.97 The cost of eggs has largely been impacted by the highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, outbreak, which has led to more than 130 million poultry across the U.S. to be affected, USA TODAY previously reported. The continuing diminishing supply coupled with steady demand has led egg prices to creep up. USA TODAY reporter Betty Lin-Fisher contributed. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Why is egg smuggling dangerous?
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
U.S. border officials in Indiana confiscate nearly $10K worth of fake Botox products
March 19 (UPI) -- U.S. border officials in Indiana recently seized a handful of counterfeit Botox products with a street value of nearly $10,000. "These drugs can be expensive and hard to acquire in many locations, but cheap prices are not always the safest, especially when it comes to your health and well-being," LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's field office in Chicago, said Wednesday in a release. Officials revealed that four boxes of counterfeit Botox vials were confiscated at an express consignment shop in Indianapolis. They added that, had the products been real, they would have fetched at least $8,500 on the market. These seizures of counterfeit Botox are one example of our collaborative efforts to ensure the American public is protected from illegal and harmful products entering the United States. CBP urges consumers to only purchase these medications from reputable sources," Sutton-Burke added. In total officers seized 14 glass Botox vials at about 100 units of the drug supposedly intended to boost self-esteem by way of physical looks, one glass Botox vial with 200 units in it and 1 glass Dysport vial equaling to about 500 units of the illicit substance. Botox, or botulinum toxin, is restricted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It cannot be imported into the United States without proper documentation due to scores of health risks. "Unapproved products that you inject could seriously hurt you," stated Melvin Dennis, CBP's acting port director in Indianapolis. "They are manufactured in unregulated and unsanitary facilities with ingredients that you cannot be sure are authentic," he added. Three of the four shipments arrived from the same British supplier with the fourth from Indonesia, according to CBP officials. Meanwhile, two of the packages were destined to different Michigan addresses. The other two were headed to other residences in New Jersey and California. Federal regulators have urged American consumers purchase any pharmaceutical from a reputable source particularly to avoid unknown and possibly hazardous ingredients, and ensure proper administering by a properly trained and licensed medical professional. Last year, at least 17 women in nine states fell ill after getting fake Botox shots, with 13 of them landing in the hospital and one who required a ventilator.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Yahoo
CBP finds 161K fake US stamps in shipment from China
More than 161,000 counterfeit U.S. Forever stamps from China were recently seized in Chicago, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Thursday. Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement officers at the Chicago International Mail Branch stopped eight shipments containing a total of 161,860 fake stamps that violated trademark laws last weekend, CBP said. All the parcels were arriving from China, according to authorities, and would be valued at over $118,000 if real. Officers, however, were able to determine that the stamps were fraudulent based on "the very low invoice value, the routing, and the extraordinary efforts undertaken to conceal the stamps," according to CBP. Fox News Embeds With Ice Pursuing Targets, Including Illegal Migrant Wanted For Sexual Assault Conviction LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of Field Operations-Chicago, praised the highly trained CBP officers and specialists who stopped the counterfeiters from profiting from the "very realistic" fake stamps. Read On The Fox News App "Counterfeiters only care about making a profit," Sutton-Burke said. "They don't care about the effect that fake postage has on your ability to send important mail and overall impacts the U.S. economy." "Our officers and specialists are some of the most highly trained in the nation, and their level of expertise is evident with these seizures," she continued. "CBP officers were able to identify these very realistic counterfeits and stop them from reaching their destinations." Aoc's Office Advises Migrants On How To Avoid Deportations In Live Webinar While the quality of the seized fraudulent stamps was poor, CBP warned that advances in counterfeiting are improving the quality so much so that most consumers may not detect the differences between fake and authentic stamps. An uptick in counterfeit U.S. Postal Service postage stamps typically occurs around holidays, especially "high volume card holidays like Valentine's Day," authorities said. Click To Get The Fox News App CBP reminded the public that authentic postage stamps are produced at the U.S. Bureau of Engraving & Printing in the United article source: CBP finds 161K fake US stamps in shipment from China
