SAN DIEGO — Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego special agents seized more than 1,600 items of counterfeit baseball and soccer merchandise with a combined manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of more than $143,000 during two separate operations this month.
The San Diego Padres collaborated with special agents assigned to HSI San Diego’s Commercial Fraud Group, which coordinated with the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center and Major League Baseball (MLB). HSI San Diego special agents also worked with HSI London and Manchester United F.C. during the soccer operation.
During the Padres operation, special agents seized 1,163 counterfeit items, with an MSRP of $86,000.
The second Manchester United F.C. operation resulted in the seizure of 521 counterfeit items, with an MSRP of $57,000.
“HSI San Diego is committed to working with industries, such as MLB and the English Premier League’s Manchester United, in maintaining the integrity of their brands. The recent seizures of counterfeit items highlight our ongoing efforts to combat counterfeit operations and safeguard the American supply chain,” said HSI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Chris Davis. “We appreciate the collaboration with the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center and industry partners, which have been instrumental in disrupting these illegal activities and ensuring that counterfeit products do not reach our customers.”
The seizures are part of Operation Team Player, an ongoing annual initiative spearheaded by the IPR Center and in coordination with all major U.S. sports leagues to prevent counterfeit sports related merchandise, apparel and tickets from reaching fans ahead of high-profile sporting events. Between February 2023 and February 2024, approximately 94,000 counterfeit sports-related items were seized, worth an estimated $28.1 million.
For more than two decades, the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center has led the government's actions that combat global intellectual property theft and enforce trade laws. Comprised of federal agencies, international law enforcement, academia, and private sector partners, the IPR Center develops initiatives, coordinates enforcement actions, and shares information related to intellectual property theft and trade fraud. The center was established to address the theft of innovation that threatens economic stability and places the public’s health and safety at risk.
About HSI
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce consists of over 10,000 employees, assigned to 235 offices within the United States and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI's international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.