Customs and Border Protection (CBP), New Orleans Field Office, has partnered with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to stop counterfeiting efforts during the Holiday season for the third consecutive year.
Operation Safety Claus, an anti-counterfeiting law enforcement operation in metro New Orleans, also included the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Louisiana, and the Office of the Louisiana Attorney General.
Makeup, contact lenses, hair products, eyelashes, and clothing are among the items CBP officers have intercepted in the last few weeks.
“The discovery and interception of counterfeit merchandise that pose safety hazards to our citizens is an illustration of how CBP works every single day to keep dangerous goods from the commerce of the United States,” Mark S. Choina, assistant port director of trade at the Port of New Orleans, said.
Authorities said that, particularly during the Halloween holiday, contact lenses, makeup, and other cosmetics are relatively inexpensive and can contain bacteria, heavy metals, or other toxins posing a health and safety hazard when not purchased from reputable sources.
Last year, CBP seized $3.7 million worth of products with Intellectual Property Rights violations, adding many of the products are shipped through mail facilities throughout the country.