CHICAGO–-U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the International Mail Facility at O’Hare International Airport confiscated 984 counterfeit driver’s licenses from January 21 to 26.
As the Spring semester starts at many colleges, CBP has seen an uptick in these counterfeit documents. Officers inspecting packages found these IDs concealed within laptop chargers, inside plastic mirrors, and within necklace/jewelry boxes.
Counterfeit documents are fake documents that have the appearance of legal documentation but are not issued by a legitimate organization or government agency and are not recognized in the United States as official travel or identification instruments. Counterfeit documents, such as these driver’s licenses, can be used as a means for college students who have not yet turned the age of 21, to enter a bar or business that sells and serves alcohol. Unfortunately, these students put themselves at great risk when purchasing these fake documents.
“Counterfeit driver’s licenses are used by young adults who have not yet reached the legal drinking age,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director, Field Operations, Chicago Field Office. “CBP’s interception of these IDs significantly reduces the chances for alcohol to be purchased by underage individuals and hopefully reduces the consequences of their actions, including deadly accidents.”
Only two companies have authorization by the U.S. Department of State to print international driver’s licenses in the United States: The American Automobile Association (AAA) or American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA). The IDs were deemed counterfeit based upon the lack of fine line detail, and exhibit features that are not consistent with the document type.
According to Sutton-Burke, the reasoning for buying fake IDs has evolved from teenagers trying to get into bars to more nefarious activity. “Producing these documents without proper authorization and oversight is illegal, and the story doesn’t stop there. Fake documents are associated with identity theft and human trafficking, and the revenue generated from their sales is known to fund organized crime. Our officers and specialists are trained to recognize a spectrum of fake identification, and their hard work protects innocent civilians around the world.”
CBP officers coordinate identification findings with CBP’s Fraudulent Document Analysis Unit, Homeland Security Investigations, and other federal partners to combat any illicit activity. Visit CBP’s YouTube channel to learn more about how CBP’s Office of Field Operations secures our nation’s borders.
CBP routinely conducts inspection operations on arriving and departing international flights and intercepts narcotics, weapons, currency, prohibited agriculture products, counterfeit goods, and other illicit items at our nation’s 328 international ports of entry.
