CBP seizes $6M worth of counterfeit World Cup items at Houston port

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- With the 2026 FIFA World Cup underway, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is reminding people of the dangers of counterfeit items after the department said it seized more than $6M in fake World Cup merch.

On Wednesday, the CBP shared that officers from the Port of Houston/Galveston Trade Enforcement seized athletic wear, soccer balls, toys, sunglass cases, fake Apple products, and perfume for intellectual property rights violations, including trademarks owned by FIFA.

In total, the CBP seized about 12,000 Adidas soccer jerseys, 4,500 Adidas FIFA soccer balls, nearly 4,400 pairs of athletic shoes, 69 FIFA packages with more than 2,200 fake Apple watches and earbuds with the FIFA trademark logo, and an array of toys and perfumes.

Authorities said most shipments originated from China and were going to locations within and outside the U.S.

The CBP shared that fake items can pose serious health and safety risks to American consumers due to inferior or harmful materials.