Since the beginning of 2025, safety officials at Los Angeles International Airport have seized more than 1,000 replica firearms and suppressors, authorities announced Tuesday.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers assigned to LAX, in collaboration with Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) officials, have continued to intercept the air parcel shipments destined for various locations across the country.
“These shipments [originated] from China and [arrived] via air parcel,” CBP said in a press release. “In an attempt to deceive CBP officials, the replica firearms were misdeclared as ‘alloy miniature toys’.”
To date, 953 replica firearms have been destroyed, as have 111 replica suppressors and 92 abandoned suppressors, CBP stated.
“If these items were to reach the streets, the consequences could be significant,” Cheryl M. Davies, CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles, said. “Replica firearms – even though not always functional – can be easily mistaken for genuine weapons by the public and law enforcement.”
“Such misidentification can lead to tragic outcomes,” Davies continued.
According to the CBP, many consumers may view replica firearms as “just toy guns” but as Davies mentioned, their presence can complicate investigations.
“Incidents involving these items may cause confusion at crime scenes, hinder the clarity of evidence and ultimately impede the work of law enforcement,” officials stated.
Federal law requires that toy guns, replica firearms and look-alike and imitation firearms that are sold or transported across state lines have a blaze orange plug inserted in the barrel or a stripe on both sides of the barrel.
The display of imitation of firearms in public places in the state of California is illegal, according to California Penal Code 12556, is punishable by fines and, under certain circumstances, could lead to a misdemeanor conviction.