LOUISVILLE, Ky. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Louisville’s port of entry intercepted 1,094 counterfeit U.S. driver’s licenses concealed within an inbound trouser shipment on Oct. 12.
According to a news release, the seizure included 1,094 U.S. identification cards, five Australian, two Canadian and two representing the United Kingdom.
All 1,103 seized licenses were en route to a residence in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Counterfeit identification documents are not issued by a “legitimate organization or government agency and are not recognized in the United States as official travel or identification instruments,” the agency stated.
“Counterfeit driver’s licenses are used by young adults who have not yet reached the legal drinking age,” Thomas Mahn, director of the Louisville port, stated.
“Not to mention the criminal consequences, CBP’s interception of these IDs significantly reduces the chances for alcohol to be purchased by underage individuals and hopefully reduces the consequences of their actions, including deadly accidents,” he added.
According to the agency, the poor-quality licenses arrived from Hong Kong and all lacked adequate security features.
Meanwhile, LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of field operations for the agency’s Chicago field office, championed the seizure for thwarting potential crimes that extend far beyond underage drinking.
“Some of the major concerns as they relate to fraudulent identity documents include identity theft, worksite enforcement, critical infrastructure protection, fraud linked to immigration-related crimes such as human smuggling and human trafficking, and these documents can be used by those individuals associated with terrorism to minimize their scrutiny undergoing travel screening measures,” Sutton-Burke stated.
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