MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Minneapolis-St. Paul’s Express Consignment Facility intercepted 42 pallets containing a total of 1,134 fraudulent gas engines on January 23. The engines, which came from China, had an appraised value of $1.34 million.
Each pallet contained 27 gas engines and was heading to various businesses across the U.S. The engines were seized for not providing the proper documentation and were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.
“I’m extremely proud of the diligent and professional work of CBP officers and import specialists who applied their keen knowledge and expertise to effectively target, identify and hold these suspicious shipments,” said LaFonda D. Sutton Burke, Director, Field Operations, Chicago Field Office. “This is an unusual seizure, but a critically important one, and our officers once again show how their training and skill enables CBP to be a strong frontline of defense against faulty goods that can endanger the lives of innocent citizens.”
CBP’s border security mission is led at ports of entry by CBP officers from the Office of Field Operations. CBP officers screen international travelers and cargo and search for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation’s safety and economic vitality.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
