Customs Currency Seizure of $100k

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on

U.S. CustomsĀ seized over $100,000 from some Mexican nationals leaving the United States. This is a different scenario from the usual airport currency seizure case we handle. In this instance, it appears that the people transporting (smuggling) the money are facing criminal prosecution because their names are being used.

The full story is here, but is excerpted below:

Two Mexican nationals were arrested on Tuesday for failing to report more than $100,000 in U.S. currency when they attempted to drive into Mexico through the Port of Douglas.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting outbound inspections selected a Chevrolet truck, driven by Dennis Armando Brown-Lopez, 43, for further inspection when he and Maria Delia Barrientos-Romero, 45, both of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, attempted to cross into Mexico.

After officers discovered the currency hidden with the truck, they processed the vehicle and currency for seizure, and referred Brown and Barrientos to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcementā€™s Homeland Security Investigations.

If you have had your currency seized,Ā please call our office atĀ (734) 855-4999Ā to speak to a customs lawyer, or e-mail us through ourĀ contact page. We are able to assist with cash seized by customs around the country, including Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and many other places, and not just locally in Detroit. Please read these other articles:

  1. Seizure of currency and monetary instruments by U.S. Customs
  2. Seizure for bulk cash smuggling into or out of the U.S.
  3. Structuring currency imports and exports
  4. Is it $10,000 per person? Ā Under what circumstances is filing a report with Customs for transporting more than $10,000 required?
  5. Criminal & civil penalties for failing to report monetary instrument transportation
  6. Is only cash currency subject to seizure by Customs?
  7. Responding to a Customs currency seizure
  8. How do I get my seized money back?
  9. Getting money seized by U.S. Customs back while staying overseas
  10. How long does it take Customs to decide a petition for a currency/monetary instrument seizure?
  11. Statute of Limitations for Currency Reporting Violations
  12. Filing a Petition for Seized Currency (with Sample and Tips) with CBP
  13. Don’t TalkĀ About Your Customs Currency Seizure Case