Thousands Of Counterfeit Masks Seized In Phoenix: CBP

PHOENIX — Federal agents have seized over 200,000 counterfeit surgical masks intended for hospitals in the last 45 days.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said an investigation by a group of CBP officers and Homeland Security Investigations agents based at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix resulted in the seizure of several mask shipments in various locations in October.

A statement from CBP said that some of the supposed 3M N95 masks had already been sent to hospitals across the country but were seized after investigators were able to have them recalled.

“Homeland Security Investigations and our partner agencies are committed to identify and seize these potentially hazardous medical products before they could harm our frontline workers," Scott Brown, the special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Phoenix, said in a statement.

The counterfeit masks could be hazardous if used by medical personnel, the news release said. N95 masks are in high demand for health care workers, as they are designed to filter out at least 95 percent of small particles from the air, including bacteria and viruses.

"Customs and Border Protection is committed to protecting the American consumer against the substandard and potentially unsafe counterfeit consumer goods," Guadalupe Ramirez, director of Customs and Border Protection's Tucson Field Office, said.

Immigrants and Custom Enforcement and HSI started "Operation Stolen Promise" in April to protect U.S. consumers from the increasing and evolving threat posed by the pandemic.

The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.