Customs officials seize more than 100,000 fake face masks bound for El Paso

EL PASO, Texas – More than 100,000 counterfeit surgical masks that were slated to be used by hospital workers were seized by Customs and Border Protection officers and investigators with Homeland Security this week.

A shipment of 100,080 surgical masks were initially intercepted at the Ysleta Cargo Facility. The masks had a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $600,480.

The masks were being transported to an El Paso warehouse and were destined for a hospital on the East Coast.

Homeland Security investigators determined that the masks were counterfeit after working with the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center and the 3M Company.

CBP officials said these types of operations ensure that frontline health workers do not receive inferior products and it protects the “integrity” of the U.S. economy.