Phony name-brand items confiscated in ICE operation

SWEETWATER, Fla. (WSVN) -- Federal agents have confiscated hundreds of pieces of counterfeit merchandise, in an operation aimed at getting phony name-brand items off South Florida's streets.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents were alerted to the spread of stolen goods throughout South Florida flea markets. Since last week, agents have confiscated nearly $ 250,000 in fake merchandise from local flea markets, including phony G-Shock watches, Fendi shoes, Oakley sunglasses, Louis Vuitton handbags, and even Miami Dolphins jerseys. "You look at the front of [the jersey], it's got the NFL logo, it's got the Dolphins logo, it's got the player's name, but when you turn it inside out, you don't find this on a real NFL jersey," said Immigration & Customs Enforcement Public Information Officer Nestor Yglesias.

According to ICE agents, smugglers bring in stolen items and sell them off as brand-name, high-end items for low prices. "The people that make bootleg [items] are not looking to maintain the reputations the trademark holders are looking to maintain," said said Agent Carmen Pino of the ICE. "A lot of people say, 'Well, this isn't that bad. It's just a counterfeit purse, it's just a counterfeit watch. It's really not that big of an issue, it's really not hurting anybody.' Well, we're here to say that it does."

Gerard O'Neill, the special agent in charge of the ICE-HSI said, "While the consumer thinks they're getting a good value, they're not, because this thing will tear apart."

The fraud impacts the U.S. economy and also fuels international crime, federal agents said. "Each time someone purchases this from the Black Market, you are robbing revenue from an American company and potentially taking American jobs away," Pino said. "It's not just one person with a suitcase or a briefcase on the corner hocking a counterfeit or a stolen watch. This is global organized crime."

Agent Pino mentioned that those who engage in this smuggling business put the safety of shoppers who purchase the fake merchandise at risk. "All these products are made in very sub-standard conditions with substandard parts," he said. "They could be a health hazard, they could have lead paint, they could have batteries which will corrode."

Federal authorities have already confiscated boxes of evidence in the operation, and they are now investigating those who were selling the items.

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