**Massive Seizure of Fake Gibson Guitars at Los Angeles-Long Beach Seaport**

In a large-scale investigation, authorities seized 3,000 counterfeit Gibson electric guitars at the Los Angeles-Long Beach Seaport. If genuine, the guitars would have an estimated value of around $18 million.

The announcement was made during a late morning news conference by officials from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and Gibson Inc. “These guitars may look real to you, but trust and believe they are not,” stated Africa Bell, port director for the Los Angeles-Long Beach Seaport. She emphasized that the fake instruments were part of a significant scheme aimed at deceiving American consumers, likely targeting the e-commerce market.

Displayed at the news conference in Carson were some of the counterfeit guitars, designed to mimic the iconic designs of Gibson products. Other guitars were still stacked in boxes, reaching up to six feet high inside the warehouse. Authorities deemed this the largest seizure of counterfeit musical instruments on record.

Attorney Andrea Bates, representing Gibson Inc., underscored the impact of the seizure. She praised the collaboration between authorities and the company, highlighting the importance of preventing counterfeit guitars from reaching the market. Bates remarked, "They were able to facilitate to identify and to seize $18 million worth of counterfeit guitars. This is something that's incredibly significant."

Gibson's chief marketing officer, Beth Heidt, explained that while professionals could easily identify the fakes due to discrepancies in the logo, inlays, weight, and other details, ordinary consumers might struggle to spot the differences. Nonetheless, the material and sound quality could also serve as indicators of authenticity.

Details regarding the individuals behind the counterfeit operation remain undisclosed due to the ongoing investigation. The specifics of how the investigation began were not provided at the news conference, but Bell mentioned that certain shipments tend to attract the attention of port officials.