Louisville CBP seizes over 100 Airsoft rifles during Operation Safety Tip

LOUISVILLE—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Louisville Port of Entry seized more than 100 airsoft rifles during Operation Safety Tip from March 20-24.

CBP officers at the Port of Louisville focused on suspect shipments of airsoft toys without orange safety tips attempting entry into the United States. Officers’ primary focus was on merchandise exported from the People’s Republic of China or Hong Kong and merchandise described as airsoft, replica, toys, and other related cargo.

Operation Safety Tips was an enforcement effort between the Port of Louisville and Homeland Security Investigation (HSI.) This operation helped protect the public and support the agency’s overall goals. Additionally, prior enforcement operations produced a significant amount of orange safety tip violations.

Under federal importation laws, all airsoft rifles that are imported or transported in the U.S. are required to have barrels with a minimum 6mm wide blaze orange tip, and according to Thomas Mahn, Louisville Port Director, those orange tips are for your safety. “Those orange tips are there to delineate the difference between real and replica firearms. Not having those safety measures in place could lead to confusion and deadly consequences.

"Operations like these are very important and highlight that Express Consignment Operations are a target rich environment for these types of seizures," said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director Field Operations, Chicago Field Office. "Prior enforcement operations have produced a significant amount of orange safety tip violations, and along with our partners in HSI, we will continue to keep our communities safe."

CBP's border security mission is led at ports of entry by CBP officers from the Office of Field Operations. CBP officers use a variety of techniques to intercept narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, prohibited agriculture, and other illicit products, and to assure that global tourism remains safe and strong.

Please visit CBP Ports of Entry to learn more about how CBP’s Office of Field Operations secures our nation’s borders.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the comprehensive management, control, and protection of our nation’s borders, combining customs, immigration, border security, and agricultural protection at and between official ports of entry.