INDIANAPOLIS — Local U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers last week detained 1,207 fraudulent driver's licenses sent from Hong Kong, according to a news release from the agency.
The counterfeit licenses were found in three shipment containers — one en route to an address in Chicago and two to addresses in New York.
Most licenses were made for college-age people across 20 states, including California, Ohio, South Carolina, Michigan, North Carolina, Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas.
Counterfeit licenses have historically been used by people under 21 years old to illegally obtain alcohol but are also used for identity theft, immigration fraud and other immigration-related crimes such as human smuggling and human trafficking, according to the release.
"These documents can (also) be used by those individuals associated with terrorism to minimize scrutiny from travel screening measures," Director of CBP Field Operations in Chicago LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke said in a written statement.
Chief CBP Officer Tim Hubbard said in a statement that officers will continue to be vigilant in their enforcement operations.
"We remain committed to the safety and security of our nation," Hubbard said.
CBP officers coordinate their findings with the agency's Fraudulent Document Analysis Unit, Homeland Security Investigations and other federal agencies to combat the distribution of counterfeit licenses.
