US customs agents: 17,600 Fox Sports NFL robot action figures had high levels of lead

Customs: 17,600 Fox Sports NFL toys had lead paint

SEATTLE — U.S. customs officials say nearly 17,600 Fox Sports NFL robot action figures seized at the Seattle waterfront last month were contaminated with lead paint.

Officials said Friday the NFL Team Cleatus toys were manufactured in the Guangdong province of southeastern China and were destined for a distributor in the Seattle area. But they declined to identify either the manufacturer or the distributor.

The toys arrived in the U.S. in two container loads on Dec. 11. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized them Jan. 12, after tests showed they contained six times the allowable amounts of lead.

Agency spokesman Mike Milne says the toys are valued at more than $96,000 and will be destroyed.

After-hours messages left with representatives of Fox Sports were not immediately returned Friday.