Great Lakes Customs Law

Dulles Airport Customs Seizes $23k in Unreported Currency

Since the removal of travel restrictions international travel has increased; add to that, the US holiday of Thanksgiving, and we should expect to see a significant rise in CBP enforcement activities. In the story below, which (of course) takes place at Dulles Airport, we have a tale of a married couple traveling to Ghana who did not accurately report the currency, and who had their money seized…

CBP Baltimore Seizes $42k Cash from Jamaicans

CBP in Baltimore seized some cash from travelers, in 2 incidents, who were traveling to Jamaica. The story from CBP in its original form is here: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized nearly $41,933 in unreported currency recently from travelers heading to Jamaica at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). . . . On Tuesday, CBP officers seized…

Dulles CBP Seizes $35k from Turkey-bound Traveler

On July 31, Dulles CBP seized more than $35,000 from a woman traveling to Turkey.

Unfortunately, story states that she only declared having $5000 when she was first stopped. When they searched her bags they found a total of $35,016.

This is a big no-no. Especially in Dulles Airport, not reporting money combined with later discovery of the money in clothing or baggage will typically result in…

Buffalo CBP Seized $207,500 of Concealed Cash

CBP in Buffalo made an enormous seizure of cash just 2 days ago. The cash seizure was made when CBP stopped a man who claimed he was traveling from Massachusetts to Mississauga, Canada to deliver some copper wire. During the encounter, a dog alerted to drugs and CBP officers then found a bag with $207,500 in it.

The man is not named so it would appear at this point he has not been criminally…

Cash Smuggler Outdone by Texas CBP

CBP officers in Texas seized money from a 31 year old man from the United States, who did not report the money when leaving the United States (a requirement of the law).

The story, related by CBP here, is one of what seems to obviously be bulk cash smuggling in furtherance of some illegal activity (like drug smuggling). The hiding of the money, with the intent it not be reported to CBP,…

Cash Seized by Detroit CBP, with Guns & Drugs

Cash continues to be seized by U.S. Customs & Border Protection at the Port of Detroit, as the tweet from the Director of Field Operations below shows. In this case, the seizure of the money is likely for reasons other than failure to report the cash, but probably for bulk cash smuggling or violations related to money laundering or illegal activity (drugs/gun trafficking, etc.).

Here’s a tweet…

Passenger Fails to Report British Pounds at Dublin Pre-Clearance, CBP Seizes

CBP Pre-Clearance operations in Dublin, Ireland, seized $61,000 worth of British Pounds that was being taken to the United States (without reporting it) by a traveller. It’s an interesting story because this seizure by United States Customs & Border Protection took place in Dublin, Ireland.

The story says its a seizure of money for not reportingit (i.e., undeclared cash), but if the sign in the…

CBP Seizes Helicopter Drones for FCC label violations

CBP in Detroit, as part of a larger seizure that we blogged about not long ago, has seized 4,600 radio-controlled drone helicopters. But, because they did not have the appropriate FCC labels (certifying compliance of the product with FCC regulations), they have been seized. Here’s the story from CBP, along with an embedded tweet with more pics of the merchandise from Director of Field Operations…

CBP Presidio Seizes $175,935 In Cash at Mexican Border

CBP in Presidio, Texas seized $175,936 when inspecting people leaving the country for Mexico on June 7, 2020. The story which is quoted below, says that the money was hidden within the quarter panel (i.e., in the body panels above the front wheels) of a vehicle.

Obviously, then, this money is not just “undeclared” as the story headline broadcasts, but also smuggled. The man who was driving the…

CBP Seizes $100k in Cash at Veterans Intl/Los Tomates Bridge

CBP in Brownsville seized nearly $100,000 from a traveler heading to Mexico at the Veterans International Bridge. The story from CBP indicates the man was walking, not driving a vehicle. CBP discovered multiple packages of cash totaling $99,118.

CBP seized the cash because it was not reported, but probably also because it was considered to be bulk cash smuggling.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – U.S. Customs…

CBP Agents Seize $3 Million in St. Thomas

CBP agents in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, seized more than $3 million dollars and arrested the men involved. The story shares some interesting details, like the fact that the boat was equipped with 5 fuel tanks (so that the smugglers could spend more time at sea, if necessary) and that the duffle bag a GPS tracker in it (so that, if thrown overbaord, it could be more easily traced).

Here’s the…

CBP Seized $52k Currency in El Paso, Texas

CBP relates the seizure of $52,000, which was detected to be in the vehicle when the CBP equivalent of Scooby-Do sniffed it out (a currency detection canine), here’s the story (original here):

EL PASO, Texas — A significant currency seizure was made at the Stanton southbound bridge in downtown El Paso, with over $52,000 of unreported currency going southbound to Mexico.

The currency was found by…

CBP Miami Intercepts Money Exports

CBP Miami made some significant cash seizures in outbound cargo shipments, which in this case were heading toward Costa Rica.

Just as it is illegal to hand-carry more than $10,000 out of the country without reporting it on form Fincen 105, so too is it illegal to ship it out of the country without reporting it.

In this case, one packaged contained $29k, and the other $19k. Both were destined for…

Laredo CBP Seizes $55k

Laredo CBP seized $55,000 being taken from the United States to Mexico on May 3rd. This, despite the border being closed to all but non-essential travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s the story, which is light on details except they specify the van they were driving… why, I don’t know. But here’s a picture of a 2007 Ford E35 van, to give the story some more context:

LAREDO,…

CBP Laredo Seizes $12,000 Heading to Mexico

CBP in Texas, this time in Laredo, Texas, seized $12,031 from a person walking into Mexico.

They call the unreported, and possibly smuggled cash, contraband. This is true; although carrying money into or out of the country is not illegal, not reporting more than $10,000, smugglingit (hiding it), or structuring it (dividing it), is illegal. Thus, because the money is involved in this violation, it…