Prosecutors announced on Monday that nine people have been charged with federal crimes against at least $ 200 million counterfeit and illegal goods from China via Los Angeles and Long Beach ports.
The US Prosecutor's Office accused the logistic company executives, warehouse owners and truck drivers of conspiring to transport shipping containers to warehouses in the industrial city and to send ship containers to “fill” cargo before the customs officials inspected the containers.
Eight of the defendants 15-The number of charges Has been arrested. The leading defendant of the Diamond bar is believed to be in China that Wajun Zheng, 57, controlled many logistics companies in Los Angeles and planned the project. Zheng and other defendants accused the kidnapping, customs seals and conspiracy.
In order to avoid the discovery, the lawyers accused, and the defendants broke down the locked safety seals, which should be opened only by customs officials, and turned them into a counterfeit numbers.
Investigators seized more than $ 130 million worth of goods, including counterfeit shoes, perfume, luxury handbags, clothes and watches. Officials said that illegal and dangerous chemicals, as well as unauthorized foods and drugs in trafficked substances can endanger consumers.
Jaim Ruis, a spokesman for US Customs and Border Protection, said the allegations made on Monday were involved in the largest trade scam registered at the Los Angeles-Long Beach Port premises.
Officials in LA and Long Beach ports regularly interrupt all kinds of counterfeit goods Electronic, clothing and handbags to do Guitar And Engines. In recent years, they have exported restricted chemicals, plants and animal products, arms and counterfeit coins. In 2022, it was announced that there were US Customs and Border Security Ports Billion captured 1 billion The value of counterfeit products in one year, the achievement of the infection-era rise in online shopping.
Officials acknowledged that the project had been severely damaged at the country's hectic port premises when customs officials had severe standards to prevent damaging safety stamps before the test. About 30% of the international coastal cargoes that come out and outside the country, La-Long Beach ports are handled and are opened and examined by one of the thousands of shipping containers moving every day.
“With this high operation, transnational criminal organizations have a vast place to implement and exploit the impact, and the accused defenders have received full benefit of the accused,” said Los Angeles, US Homeland Security Investigation Department Special Agency Eddi Wang, Eddi Wang, Los Angeles, Los Angeles He said at a news conference on Monday.
US lawyer Joseph T. Sabha, California's central district, said the US has taken steps to remedy the impacts found in the investigation. Said McNali.
“I am not going to get it right because I think it will present its own risks,” McNley said, “But they have identified the problem and taken steps to solve it.”
“The ban on the United States threaten our citizens' health and well -being, and threaten our national security by allowing traffickers to enter dangerous materials.”
Prosecutors said the project was at least from August 2023 to June 2024, and is responsible for smuggling at least $ 200 million from China. It was found as part of a regular experiment that a US Customs and Border Protection were sent by a farmer, noticed that the safety seal appeared to be damaged and that the cargo was not applied to the inside.
“He immediately announced his supervisors,” said Cheryl Davis, director of field operations for the Los Angeles Field Office of the US Customs and Border Protection. “They quickly realized that the original inventory was removed and replaced with domestic cargo.
Prosecutors said that counterfeit safety stamps used to deceive customs officials were sent from China to the United States. The project was profitable for the concerned truck drivers, and they usually earn $ 200 to $ 300 when they move a shipping container, but each illegal ship earned about $ 10,000 for each illegal ship.