CBP Seizes $18 Million in Counterfeit Guitars

We think of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as the organization that keeps watch over our border — and under President-elect Trump will begin the process of fixing our border crisis. CBP does even more than that, and a recent sting operation involving CBP and Los Angeles law enforcement set a record.

CBP officers teamed up with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to seize over 3,000 counterfeit Gibson guitars at the ports in L.A. and Long Beach. Had these fake guitars sold at regular prices, the MSRP would have totaled $18,742,820.

Authorities suspected that counterfeit cargo was arriving in containers shipped from Asia. When officers intercepted the shipping containers, sure enough, they found the counterfeit Gibsons.

“These fraudulent guitars may look and feel legitimate for unsuspecting consumers buying them from third-party online sources, street markets, unauthorized retailers, and person-to-person transactions,” said Cheryl M. Davies, CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles. “As we approach the busy holiday shopping season, consumers should pay attention to where they are buying these goods and how much they are paying, and if is too good to be true it probably is.”

The tell-tale sign that the Gibsons were fake is that they arrived from a foreign destination. All genuine Gibson guitars are handmade in the U.S. at factories that the company calls “craftories.” With over a century of quality musical instruments, Gibson has a vested interest in keeping fake guitars out of consumers’ hands.

"This is really emotional and personal for us not only because of the protection of our players, but because of our Gibson team at large, including the artisans at our craftories in Nashville, Tenn., and Bozeman, Mont., who are generations of American families that have dedicated their entire lives to handcrafting Gibson instruments," said Beth Heidt, Chief Marketing Officer at Gibson.

“As Gibson celebrates its 130th anniversary this year, we are proud of our legacy of quality and craftsmanship, legendary music partnerships with our artists, and our efforts to promote and create more musicians that continue to shape the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers across every genre,” Heidt added.

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The massive seizure highlights how pervasive counterfeit products have become. The market is flooded with cheap knock-offs that are often made from substandard material, and counterfeit goods also often link to other criminal activity.

“Counterfeit goods fund criminal enterprises that engage in forced labor, smuggling, drug trafficking, and other illicit activities,” says Africa R. Bell, CBP Port Director of the L.A.-Long Beach seaport. “Counterfeiters are only interested in making a profit – they do not care about you or your family’s well-being or the well-being of our economy.”

“We are grateful for the hard work that our U.S. CBP officers, HSI special agents, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department investigators are doing to stop counterfeiting,” said Cesar Gueikian, CEO of Gibson. “To our music lovers and customers, no matter which American brand you decide to buy, always buy direct from the source or from authorized dealers. Our pledge is to protect the consumer and give them the tools to make the journey of playing guitar and making music the most amazing experience.”