Federal Law 18 U.S.C. § 2320 Affirms Jurisdiction Over Counterfeit Goods Trafficking

A recent social media commentary by Rafael A. Mangual has highlighted a divergence between political rhetoric and established facts concerning the persistent issue of counterfeit goods on New York City's Canal Street. Mangual's tweet, posted on October 23, 2025, challenged the notion that a recent incident on Canal Street was "unprecedented," while simultaneously emphasizing the clear federal jurisdiction over such illicit trade.

Mangual directly referenced earlier media coverage, stating, "Funny that this article was published over a month ago, yet everyone on the debate stage is pretending that what happened yesterday on Canal St. was unprecedented." He then quoted an NY1 reporter's article from mid-September 2025, which noted, "> Canal Street is famous for bargains and infamous as a marketplace for knockoffs, despite the NYPD and federal authorities trying to curb the counterfeiters and even promoting that enforcement effort on social media." This prior reporting underscores the long-standing nature of the counterfeit market and the continuous involvement of both local and federal law enforcement.

The tweet further criticized what it perceived as politicians, specifically mentioning Cuomo and Mamdani, "pretending that the federal government doesn’t have jurisdiction over counterfeit goods trafficking." While comprehensive searches of public records from 2024-2025 do not indicate Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani jointly denying federal authority on this specific issue in a debate setting, Mangual's post serves to clarify the legal framework. Canal Street has long been recognized as a hub for the sale of fake luxury items, with ongoing efforts by the NYPD, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the FBI to combat the trade.

Mangual explicitly cited "18 U.S.C. sec. 2320" to affirm federal authority. This federal statute unequivocally prohibits the intentional trafficking or attempted trafficking in goods or services that bear a counterfeit mark. The law firmly establishes federal jurisdiction over such offenses, empowering agencies like the Department of Justice and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to investigate and prosecute individuals and organizations involved in the large-scale production and distribution of counterfeit products. This statute ensures a robust federal role in protecting intellectual property rights.