U.S. Customs and Border Protection said officers in Houston intercepted thousands of fake jerseys, soccer balls, shoes, and electronics bearing FIFA trademarks, with most shipments originating in China
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said officers at the Area Port of Houston/Galveston seized counterfeit merchandise valued at more than $6 million, including goods bearing trademarks owned by FIFA, in an intellectual-property enforcement action.
According to CBP, the seized items included athletic wear, soccer balls, toys, sunglass cases, counterfeit Apple products, and perfume. The agency said officers seized roughly 12,000 Adidas soccer jerseys, 4,500 Adidas FIFA soccer balls, nearly 4,400 pairs of athletic shoes, and 69 FIFA-branded packages containing more than 2,200 counterfeit Apple watches and earbuds carrying FIFA logos, along with an assortment of toys and perfumes. CBP said most of the shipments originated in China and were bound for locations both inside and outside the United States.
The agency said it routinely uses intelligence gathering and analysis of past trends ahead of major events such as the Super Bowl and World Cup, and that this action focused on recipients accepting shipments that violate the intellectual property rights of companies holding trademarks tied to the FIFA World Cup 2026.
“CBP takes very seriously our role in protecting American consumers from low quality and potentially dangerous counterfeit items,” said CBP Area Port Director Thomas Mahn. Mahn said that with the growth of e-commerce, consumers should be mindful of where they buy products, and that criminal networks are deceptive in scamming sports fans and harming American consumers and businesses.
A Warning for Texas Fans
The seizure carries direct relevance for Texas shoppers, with Houston among the 2026 World Cup host cities and fans across the state buying team gear and memorabilia. CBP said the rapid growth of e-commerce gives counterfeit and pirated goods more ways to enter the U.S. economy, and that counterfeit products often fund smugglers and organized crime while leaving consumers with substandard items.
Beyond sports merchandise, CBP said commonly counterfeited goods include fake medications, perfumes, cosmetics, children’s toys and costumes, fashion, jewelry, luxury products, and unsafe electronics and automotive parts — items the agency said can pose health and safety risks because of inferior or harmful materials.
CBP urged consumers to shop from reputable sources, noting that more than 90% of counterfeit seizures occur in the international mail and express shipping environments that handle small e-commerce packages. The agency said suspected violations can be reported to CBP or to the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center at iprcenter.gov or 1-866-IPR-2060.
