© Provided One box of the counterfeit masks destined for Texas but seized by Cincinnati Border Patrol at a DHL facility.

CINCINNATI – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the DHL Express hub near the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport seized 2,000 counterfeit 3M masks, the agency announced Thursday.

Agents sidelined the package that came from China and listed its contents as masks April 3.

The shipment had a declared value of $500.

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"When the officers inspected the package, they discovered 2,000 counterfeit 3M masks, an Intellectual Property Rights violation," the press release said.

The domestic value was listed as $2,000, and if the masks were actually 3M masks, the value would have been $7,000, the agency said. CBP officers seized the package for trademark violation.

The package was destined for a residence in Austin, Texas.

It was unclear whether the package was sent because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

"There have been other things seized - hand sanitizer," said Steven Bansbach, a public affairs official for the border protection agency in Chicago. "But no one really knows."

“Cincinnati CBP screens freight from all over the world,” said Richard Gillespie, Cincinnati's port director. “Our officers are highly trained and work around the clock to protect the people of the United States.”

Follow Terry DeMio on Twitter: @tdemio

© Provided This fake 3M mask was among those seized by border protection agents at DHL.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Border Protection officers seize 2,000 counterfeit 3M masks shipped from China, feds say