Championship rings are extremely valuable pieces of sports memorabilia. They’re also visually distinctive and associated with some of the most recognizable sports brands in the United States. But at the same time, these valuable pieces also create an opportunity for counterfeiters. That’s exactly what went down in late October when the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) intercepted multiple championship rings.

Per reports, the CBP officers at George Bush International Airport (IAH) in Houston, Texas, intercepted an express-consignment shipment containing 75 counterfeit Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl championship rings, according to Brobible. The shipment had come from Guangzhou, China, and the paperwork didn’t describe the contents as championship rings. Instead, the parcel was manifested as “Hair Pins Metal.”

The incident occurred on October 30, 2026.

The package was processed by CBP officers at IAH as an express consignment. During the inspection, officers noticed something unusual about the items’ craftsmanship. Per Brobible, the craftsmanship of the counterfeit Super Bowl rings appeared poor, prompting officers to detain the shipment for further examination by the agency’s Trade Enforcement Team.

Subsequently, the Trade Enforcement Team determined that the shipment constituted an Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) violation. At the same time, however, the CBP needed to establish whether the Chiefs-related championship rings were actually counterfeit.

As part of the process, the agency contacted the NFL, which holds the relevant trademark rights, to verify their authenticity. The NFL subsequently confirmed that the rings were counterfeit.

“Legitimate American businesses are often harmed by these global criminal organizations,” CBP Acting Director of Field Operations Leslie Fleming-Luczkowski said in a statement. “The sale of fake goods often funds money laundering, drug trafficking, and other illegal activities.”

Per the same report, the 75 rings were worth around $750,000. That means each ring cost approximately $10,000. Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that the importer has not been publicly identified in the CBP announcement. However, CBS said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was notified, and the agency provided investigators with information about the importer.

Meanwhile, it’s not the first time the Chiefs’ fake rings have been intercepted. In 2022, CBP also seized 80 counterfeit Chiefs Super Bowl LIV rings. That shipment was part of a larger package containing 80 fake Chiefs Super Bowl LIV rings, 110 fake Atlanta Braves World Series rings, 30 fake Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl LV rings, and 10 fake Milwaukee Bucks championship rings.

The shipment originated in China and was headed toward Florida. At least one of the counterfeit Chiefs rings even carried Patrick Mahomes’ name.

A couple of years later, another shipment carrying fake Chiefs rings was intercepted. In March 2024, CBP officers in Cincinnati intercepted another shipment of counterfeit championship rings. That package, meanwhile, contained 40 fake 2019 Super Bowl rings, 20 fake 1969 Chiefs Super Bowl rings, 15 fake 1985 Kansas City Royals rings, and 15 fake 2022 Kansas Jayhawks championship rings.

Had those items been genuine, CBP estimated their combined MSRP at approximately $2.71 million. That earlier shipment came from Hong Kong and was headed to a residence in Atchison, Kansas.

However, the 2024 case was somewhat different from the current Houston seizure. In that instance, an X-ray examination produced inconclusive results, leading officers to physically inspect the package. An import specialist then found the rings were poor quality and had inferior packaging, a low declared value, inaccurate declarations, and missing security features.

This time, however, the poor craftsmanship led the CBP officers to seize multiple fake Chiefs’ championship rings worth $750,000.