U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Louisville just intercepted a shipment of 160 counterfeit Rolex watches headed to a residence in Houston. The retail value of those fake watches? $2.57 million.
The shipment came from Taiwan. It was supposed to arrive at a Houston address. Instead, it got flagged for inspection on November 17, and CBP officers discovered exactly what they expected: high-quality counterfeits bearing protected Rolex trademarks.
What They Found
160 Rolex Just Date watches. All fake. All heading to Houston to be sold to unsuspecting customers.
CBP’s Centers of Excellence and Expertise—the agency’s trade specialists—examined the watches and confirmed they were counterfeit. The entire shipment was seized.
Why This Matters
A fake Rolex selling for a fraction of the real price might seem like a great deal. But here’s what you’re actually getting:
- Substandard materials
- Inaccurate timekeeping
- No warranty
- No customer service
- No authenticity guarantee
- A watch that might break within weeks
More importantly, when you buy a counterfeit Rolex, you’re funding transnational crime. You’re supporting the networks that produce these fakes. You’re enabling organizations that also traffic in drugs, weapons, and human trafficking.
The Bigger Problem
This Houston seizure is part of a massive nationwide pattern. Since October 2021, CBP officers at Louisville alone have seized more than 3,200 counterfeit designer watches.
In fiscal year 2025, CBP seized nearly 79 million counterfeit items nationwide with a combined retail value of over $7.3 billion. Watches and jewelry are consistently among the top items seized.
Where They Come From
China and Hong Kong are responsible for approximately 90% of counterfeit seizures. Counterfeiters operate openly in these regions, producing high-quality fakes that deceive even experienced buyers.
The watches are shipped through normal mail and parcel services. They’re addressed to residences, small businesses, and warehouses across America. Some are intercepted. Many aren’t.
The Economics of Counterfeiting
Here’s why this is so profitable for criminals: A fake Rolex costs maybe $50 to produce. It sells for $500-$2,000 online. That’s a margin of 1,000% to 4,000%.
And counterfeiters operate with almost no overhead. No stores. No employees. No inventory risk. Just shipping fake goods and waiting for orders.
When legitimate businesses lose revenue to counterfeits, they have to cut costs. That means layoffs. That means less innovation. That means a weaker economy.
What CBP Is Saying
LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director of Field Operations for the Chicago Field Office, said: “Our CBP officers diligently work to protect honest and hardworking legitimate businesses by targeting and intercepting these fraudulent items. We continue to protect our community and the consumer from these unregulated counterfeit items that could potentially cause harm to our economy.”
She’s right. Counterfeiting isn’t victimless. It’s organized crime.
How to Not Get Fooled
If you’re shopping for luxury watches online:
- If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is
- Buy from authorized retailers and authorized websites
- Check the seller’s credentials
- Demand a certificate of authenticity
- Look at return and warranty policies
- Verify the seller’s location and contact information
A Rolex retails for $5,000-$40,000 depending on the model. If someone is selling you one for $500, it’s fake.
The Real Cost
That $2.57 million in fake Rolex watches would have gone to:
- Criminal organizations
- Corrupt officials
- Networks that traffic in other illegal goods
- Groups that exploit workers
When CBP stops counterfeit goods, they’re not just protecting consumers. They’re disrupting criminal networks.
More Seizures in Louisville
This Houston-bound shipment isn’t an anomaly. In recent months, CBP Louisville officers have seized:
- 1,280 counterfeit Rolex and other luxury watches worth $25.2 million
- Counterfeit jewelry from Hong Kong with Richard Mille, Rolex, Hublot, Cartier, and other protected brands
- Multiple shipments of fake designer watches worth $6.6 million
Louisville’s Worldport cargo facility has become a major hub for counterfeit interception because so much international mail flows through there.
The Bottom Line
160 fake Rolex watches were stopped in Louisville on their way to Houston. They were worth $2.57 million at retail value. And they represented exactly why counterfeiting is a serious crime.
When you buy counterfeit goods, you’re not getting a bargain. You’re getting an inferior product and funding organized crime.
Buy real. Buy from authorized retailers. Protect yourself and the legitimate businesses that actually create these products.
Because CBP might catch the fakes. But the ones that slip through are flooding America’s black market every single day.
