HSI Boston, IPR Center, partners rack up major league results against counterfeit dealers in 2018 World Series enforcement effort

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Boston and the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) announced the successful results from the Boston segment of this year's "Operation: Ground Rules" an aggressive counterfeit-combatting enforcement multi-partner operation held during and immediately following Major League Baseball's 2018 World Series.

The multi-partner enforcement operation was coordinated with the support of and participation of HSI special agents, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, City of Boston Code Enforcement personnel and MLB Trademark Enforcement representatives.

HSI special agents seized more than 3,000 items of counterfeit MLB apparel and merchandise being offered for sale by vendors in and around Fenway Park, throughout the Boston area, and along the post-series victory parade route in Boston. Merchandise included baseball hats, knit caps, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and pennants. Had the goods been genuine, they would have retailed domestically for more than $87,000 dollars.

The Boston-area segment of "Operation: Ground Rules," which also included enforcement actions near the site of National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers, targeted several sites in the Boston area, including at Fenway Park during the World Series games and also along the parade route during the traditional "duck boat" parade of the 2018 World Series Champion Red Sox across downtown Boston on Oct. 31.