But if the naive Verge reporter had been working at CBP then the boxes would have worked to do their job of getting the copycat items past customs.

It is, however, odd that they didn't say something like "Counterfeit Airpods disguised in OnePlus Buds packaging" or similar. It's a bit too early to tell which is right, I think. Photos of OnePlus Buds from TFA show that they are a different shape on the back, distinguishable from Airpods. The CBP photos don't show this part so it's hard to tell whether they are counterfeits or just a different product.