Thousands of counterfeit Gucci and Chanel face masks seized by border officials

Maddie Capron
·1 min read

Many people are sporting face masks as the coronavirus pandemic continues, but you might want to make sure it’s not a fake.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found over 2,000 counterfeit face masks with logos of designer brands like Gucci and Burberry, according to a news release.

A June 9 shipment in New Orleans had 1,208 fake masks with Burberry, Supreme and Gucci logos on them, CBP said. A second shipment in Shreveport had 990 face masks with Chanel logos.

The masks were shipped from Vietnam and China, CBP said.

More people have been looking to buy or make face masks as states across the U.S. continue to reopen, after weeks of being mostly shut down by the coronavirus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing face masks to help slow the spread of coronavirus. Some cities and states have required people who go out wear a mask at all times.

“The significance of these seizures is two-fold,” Terri Edwards, CBP Port of New Orleans director, said in a news release. “On one hand, our officers have kept potentially harmful counterfeit items from being introduced into the U.S. commerce. We must do our part to keep the American public protected, especially in the wake of COVID-19.”