$18M Worth of Fake Gibson Guitars Seized in California Bust

Authorities in Southern California have seized 3,000 counterfeit Gibson guitars at the Los Angeles-Long Beach Seaport, valued at $18 million if genuine. The operation involved multiple agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Gibson Inc. The fake guitars were likely intended for the e-commerce market, and experts noted several telltale signs of their inauthenticity. This seizure is the largest of counterfeit musical instruments on record, and the investigation into the operation is ongoing.