Feds Seize Over $18M in Counterfeit Gibson Guitars in Record-Breaking Seizure

Federal agents in Los Angeles just busted a group trying to smuggle about 3,000 counterfeit Gibson guitars into the United States just in time for the holiday shopping season.

It’s believed to be the largest seizure of counterfeit musical instruments on record. 

U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers and Import Specialists at the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport seized the counterfeit instruments as they arrived in ocean containers from Asia. If the more than 3,000 seized guitars had been genuine Gibsons, they would have a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSPR) of more than $18.7 million.   

The seizure was announced at a news conference attended by CBP, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and representatives from Gibson, with several of the counterfeit guitars on display. 

“These guitars… may look real to you, but trust and believe they are not,” said Africa Bell, CBP port director for the LA/Long Beach Seaport. “They are fraudulent, and they are part of a massive attempt to con the American consumer.” 

Gibson confirmed that the intercepted guitars were in fact counterfeit, noting that authentic Gibson guitars are made in the U.S. only, at factories in Nashville, Tennessee and Bozeman, Montana. 

“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 CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles Cheryl M. Davies. “As we approach the busy Holiday shopping season, consumers should pay attention on where they are buying these goods and how much they are paying, and if it is too good to be true it probably is.”

Officials did not share additional information on potential suspects, citing the ongoing investigation. They also did not mention what led to the initial suspicion about the shipment. 

Director Bell said that finding illicit shipments is not easy, likening the process to “finding a needle in a haystack.” Still Director Bell pointed out that CBP intercepted over $2 billion in counterfeit products in the past fiscal year, the highest value on record.