Chicago, Illinois - U.S. Customs and Border Protections (CBP) officers at the Chicago International Mail Branch (IMF) recently seized several packages all arriving from China that contained counterfeit Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) badges.
CBP seized these badges on August 13 and 15. This isn’t the first time CBP has seen counterfeit federal law enforcement badges. They have seen counterfeit U.S. Marshal badges and other knock-off law enforcement badges. In all, CBP seized eight DEA badges and one FBI badge. All the parcels were destined for locations across the U.S.
“These counterfeit badges could have led to disastrous consequences if our officers had not found them,” said LaFonda Sutton-Burke, Director, Field Operations-Chicago. “Criminal organizations could have used these badges for their illicit activity under the guise of federal agents. Our CBP officers were able to identify these very realistic counterfeits and stop them from reaching their destinations.”
“It could be a serious security issue,” said Shane Campbell, Area Port Director – Chicago. “Used nefariously, a fake badge can be a danger to the public and can harm the public's trust in law enforcement.”
CBP Officers coordinate findings with CBP’s Fraudulent Document Analysis Unit, Homeland Security Investigations and other federal partners in an effort to combat this illicit activity.
CBP routinely conducts inspection operations on arriving and departing international flights and intercepts narcotics, weapons, currency, prohibited agriculture products, counterfeit goods, and other illicit items at our nation’s 328 international ports of entry.