Mexican goalkeeper charged in Texas with trafficking fake luxury watches
A former professional goalkeeper from Mexico has been charged in Texas with trafficking counterfeit luxury watches, according to federal prosecutors. Authorities traced shipments of watches that would have been worth about $5.4 million if genuine.
Pedro Hernandez-Calderon, 45, is in custody pending further proceedings, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas said Tuesday. He is a Mexican citizen who played professionally for Mexican football clubs Atlas, Santos Laguna and Necaxa.
The investigation began after authorities seized four counterfeit luxury watches in Anchorage, Alaska, on October 5. The watches were bound for a warehouse in Laredo, a Texas city on the Mexican border.
Investigators in Alaska then coordinated with law enforcement in South Texas to identify those responsible.
According to the criminal complaint, Hernandez-Calderon operated an import-export business that received counterfeit watches in Laredo and shipped them to customers in Mexico.
Authorities identified numerous shipments to Laredo addresses between June 2025 and October 2026. The watches had a combined estimated retail value of approximately $5.4 million if authentic, according to the complaint.
Investigators also allegedly found photographs, communications and shipping records documenting the operation. Representatives of luxury watch manufacturers confirmed that watches submitted for their review were counterfeit.
Hernandez-Calderon made his professional debut with Delfines de Coatzacoalcos in 2003 and reached Mexico’s top division with Santos Laguna in 2005, La Silla Rota reported. He later became Atlas’s starting goalkeeper in 2009 and helped Necaxa win a second-tier championship in 2010.
He also played for Jaguares de Tapachula and Irapuato, where he retired in 2012. He later worked as a goalkeeping coach for Chiapas FC.
He faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $2 million fine if convicted.
