Tag: baltimore washington international airport

A picture of seized cash in an evidence bag from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Baltimore CBP Seizes $16k in Unreported Cash

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on

Back in October, I blogged about a cash seizure in Baltimore and said that the port of Baltimore doesn’t make it into the news too much for cash seizures. Of course, because I posted that about a month later there is a report of another cash seizure coming out of Baltimore for a failure to accurately report all money to U.S. Customs and Border Protection when leaving the United States.

Here is the full story (original here):

BALTIMORE — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized $16,100 from a Nigerian man at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport Monday.

The man, who CBP has not named because he was not criminally charged, initially reported to officers that he possessed $1,500.  During a baggage examination, CBP officers discovered a $10,000 stack of currency and a $6,100 stack of currency.

Travelers may carry as much currency as they wish into and out of the United States.  Federal law requires that travelers must report all U.S. and foreign monetary instruments totaling $10,000 or greater on a U.S. Treasury Department financial form.  None of the currency is taxed.

“The United States is a welcoming nation.  All we ask is that visitors respect our nation’s laws and truthfully report all currency they possess during an inspection with a Customs and Border Protection officer,” said Dianna Bowman, CBP Area Port Director for the Area Port of Baltimore.

Have you had cash seized from CBP at Baltimore Washington International Airport?

If CBP at Baltimore Washington International Airport has seized your cash, you need a lawyer. Read our trusted customs money seizure legal guide and can contact us for a free currency seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.

 

Baltimore Customs Seized Cash on Private Flight

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on

Baltimore CBP doesn’t make it into the news too much for cash seizures, but recently it was reported that they seized more than $11,000 from a Nigerian money leaving the country. The story is different from many in that he wasn’t flying commercial, but rather flying on a private aircraft.

The story explains a valuable lesson: the customs law apply equally to commercial and private flights. Here’s the whole story, as told by CBP:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized more than $11,000 in unreported currency from a Nigerian man who departed the United States late Friday night aboard a private aircraft.

While examining a passenger manifest from the departing flight, CBP officers identified a man with previous federal currency reporting violations.  The man also failed to report any currency on this trip nor did he complete a financial reporting form as required by law.  CBP officers conducted a compliance examination and discovered $11,647 in U.S. dollars, British pounds and Euros.  CBP officers seized all the currency.

“Chartering a private flight does not alleviate travelers from the responsibility of complying with applicable U.S. laws and regulations, including federal currency reporting requirements,” said Dianna Bowman, CBP Area Port Director for the Area Port of Baltimore.  “This seizure should remind all travelers that Customs and Border Protection border security authority covers all departing and arriving international travelers, whether on commercial or private aircraft.  It is one way in which CBP contributes to our nation’s security.”

Privacy laws prohibit CBP from releasing the traveler’s name since he was not criminally charged.  The traveler was departing for London, England.  CBP officers released him to continue his travel after officers completed the currency seizure.

Have you had cash seized from CBP at Baltimore Washington International Airport?

If CBP at Baltimore Washington International Airport has seized your cash, you need a lawyer. Read our trusted customs money seizure legal guide and can contact us for a free currency seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.

 

U.S. Money Seized by Customs (CBP) Stacked on a Table with Envelopes

CBP Seizes Money for Currency Reporting Violations at Dulles & BWI Airports

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on

CBP seizes more than $32,000 for currency reporting violations at Dulles and BWI airport last week. The news release reveal the travelers were a U.S. citizen and a Nigerian citizen, and were involved in two separate currency reporting incidents.

Before getting into the details, the news release explains:

“Federal currency reporting requirements are simple.  International travelers can carry as much currency as they wish into and out of the United States, but they must report all U.S. and foreign monetary instruments totaling $10,000 or greater on a U.S. Treasury Department financial form.  None of the currency is taxed.”

All true, except the reporting requirement applies to “more than $10,000” not “$10,000 or greater.” The story gives some good details on each of the seizures cases:

On Friday, CBP officers seized $13,821 from a Nigerian citizen at BWI.  He reported to CBP officers that he possessed $9,000.  During a secondary examination, CBP officers discovered British pounds concealed inside a carry-on bag.  The traveler then tossed a wad of rolled up currency on the examining table.  The currency, which consisted of dollars, pounds and Euros equaled $13,821.  CBP officers seized the currency and returned $500 to the traveler for humanitarian purposes.

“The traveler then tossed a wad of rolled up currency on the examining table” after reporting he had $9,000. The wad totaled $13,821. If this traveler had read our article about a case in Miami, he would have known that throwing money at CBP is not the same as reporting it.

The other incident reveals how unhelpful CBP can be at times.

On Thursday, CBP officers seized $18,578 from a U.S. citizen who arrived to Dulles on a flight from Dubai. She initially reported that she possessed $10,000. CBP officers found additional currency and checks during a secondary examination. CBP officers released $322 and two checks totaling $56 for humanitarian purposes.

$322 in humanitarian relief is pretty good. But $56 in two checks? I’ve had clients left with nothing after a seizure. Not even enough change to pay for a baggage cart. I can imagine how grateful this person was to receive two checks that totaled $56. The real reason they returned the checks was because they weren’t worth much, and CBP did not want to go through the trouble of depositing them and including them as part of the seizure

If you had cash seized for a currency reporting violation, make use of our free customs money seizure legal guide or contact us for a free currency reporting violation consultation!

A picture of a CBP officer watching travelers at an airport. CBP Officers at Philadelphia International Airport seized $26,000 from a couple going to Greece for a failure to report the cash

CBP Seizes $12K at Baltimore Washington International Airport

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on

CBP issued a news release about the seizure of little more than $12,000 from a woman traveling from a woman traveling from the UK to the USA who did not report the currency at Baltimore Washington International Airport.

Is it a big deal? Yes, any violation of the law is a big deal and carries with a potential for criminal prosecution, heavy fines, jail time, forfeiture (loss) of the money, along with shame, embarrassment, and everything else.

But is such a big deal that should make headlines? I don’t think so. These kind of cash seizures happen all the time all around the country at airports and land border crossings between the United States and Canada. There’s a lot more noteworthy seizures and even more noteworthy cash seizures that CBP could make public, but does not. Why? I have no idea.

The only purpose I see in reporting a relatively small violation of the reporting requirement — where the violator was not criminally charged and was even advised to file a petition — is that it serves some public good in making it known to others that they need to report cash if carrying more than $10,000 into or out of the United States.

Without further ado, here is the meat of the story from CBP:

BALTIMORE — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO), at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport seized $12,322 Tuesday from a Nigerian woman for violating federal currency reporting regulations.

A woman, who arrived on a flight from the United Kingdom reported carrying $9,000 to CBP officers however; multiple envelopes of currency totaling $12,322 was discovered in her luggage. CBP officers seized the $12,322 returning $322 for humanitarian release and advised her how to petition for the return of the currency.

Have you had cash seized from CBP at Baltimore Washington International Airport?

If CBP at Baltimore Washington International Airport has seized your cash, you need a lawyer. Read our trusted customs money seizure legal guide and can contact us for a free currency seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.