With the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing, one would think that President Barack Obama and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano would get their priorities straight …

Do you understand the clear and present danger to America and its citizens that smartphone repair shops using counterfeit Apple parts represents? Why it must be more dangerous than illegal alien gang members, drug pushers, rapists and drunk drivers for the federal government to deploy critical resources tracking down those counterfeit Apple components and denying Apple a miniscule incremental profit.

And, using counterfeit Apple parts will void your warranty …

ABC Local 10 News in Fort Lauderdale is reporting …

Federal Agents with the Department of Homeland Security have raided 25 Smartphone repair shops in South Florida and have seized between $250,000 and $300,000 in counterfeit Apple parts.

"It's a wide investigation that is multi-state. We are looking at whole industry spectrum of repair shops that are using substandard products," said Gerard O'Neill, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Miami Field Office for Homeland Security.

O'Neill says it's a public safety issue and that is how Homeland Security is involved. He says consumers have be hurt by overheating phones that were repaired using counterfeit parts. "There are trademark and licensing violations as well," he added. Apple says if a repair shop puts counterfeit parts in your phone it will void any warranty.

Abel Abella's says his store was raided by agents who seized $5000 worth of parts. "When they came in it almost looked like a drug raid," Said Abella. Abella claims there were 20 ICE agents and two people from Apple in his small Bird Road store.

"We got the parts from a company in California. To this day that vendor is still selling parts," Said Abella. Why did the come after me?” he added. According to a Department of Homeland Security seizure form, the products he was using were counterfeit. Abella said he didn't know what he was doing was illegal.

Apple is working with the government to shut down those who mislead consumers.  "The investigation is ongoing. The consumer has to be aware of who they get to fix their products, said O'Neill.  More at: Federal agents raid smartphone repair shops | News – Home 

Bottom line …

Like Hollywood using government law enforcement agencies to fight piracy on their behalf, Apple and other large entities are closely following. While it is in the economic interests of the United States to prevent content piracy and counterfeit parts, it is also in the best interests of American citizens that the government concentrate of safety, security and healthcare fraud issues before playing policemen for major corporations.

Florida is a bed of Medicare Fraud and has only a few investigators assigned to the region. Illegal aliens abound and are destroying jobs and economic opportunities for Americans. So why this push to punish hard-working local entrepreneurs at a critical time in our economy. If anything, the government should be requesting that Apple make its parts available at a decent price to anyone who has the skill to repair Apple products – expanding the market to those who might not be able to afford new Apple gear.

As for governmental priorities, someone in the DHS Congressional oversight committee needs to speak up promptly.

-- steve