CBP Cash Seizures at the Port of Buffalo, NY

What Travelers Need to Know

The Port of Buffalo is Western New York’s primary land border crossing with Canada, operating across four international bridge crossings that connect Buffalo and Niagara Falls, New York to Ontario. Millions of travelers, commuters, and commercial vehicles cross these bridges annually — and CBP officers conduct currency enforcement operations at all four crossings, on both northbound and southbound vehicles. If your cash was seized at Peace Bridge, Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, Rainbow Bridge, or Whirlpool Bridge, the legal framework and your options are the same as at any U.S. port of entry. What matters now is acting before your deadline.

Do not contact CBP’s Fines, Penalties and Forfeitures office to explain yourself. Do not make any written statements without an attorney reviewing your case first. Everything you communicate after a seizure becomes part of the administrative record that will determine whether you get your money back.

Great Lakes Customs Law has handled currency seizure cases at Canada–U.S. land border ports and at ports of entry nationwide. Read on to understand what happened, what you are facing, and how we can help.

The Four Buffalo-Area Bridge Crossings

The Port of Buffalo encompasses four international crossings, each with its own character and traveler mix:

Peace Bridge — The primary commercial and passenger crossing between Buffalo and Fort Erie, Ontario. The highest-volume crossing in the port and the primary location for CBP enforcement actions involving passenger vehicles.
Lewiston-Queenston Bridge — Connects Lewiston, New York to Queenston, Ontario, handling both passenger and commercial traffic. CBP currency enforcement is documented at this crossing, including a seizure of more than $20,000 from a Canadian citizen who failed to report currency over $10,000.
Rainbow Bridge — The primary pedestrian and tourist crossing at Niagara Falls, connecting Niagara Falls, New York to Niagara Falls, Ontario. High tourist volume creates both enforcement opportunities and scenarios where travelers are unfamiliar with U.S. reporting requirements.
Whirlpool Bridge — A NEXUS-only crossing restricted to pre-approved trusted traveler program members. Currency enforcement applies equally here — NEXUS status does not exempt travelers from reporting requirements.

All four crossings operate under the same CBP Area Port of Buffalo, and seizures at any of them are processed through the same Fines, Penalties and Forfeitures office.

Currency Enforcement at Buffalo: What the Numbers Show

The CBP Buffalo Field Office — which oversees 16 ports of entry across all of New York State, including the Buffalo and Niagara Falls area crossings — seized more than $450,000 in unreported currency in fiscal year 2015 and $378,000 in fiscal year 2022 across its jurisdiction. A single seizure at the Champlain Port of Entry in 2022 accounted for more than $230,000 — a multi-currency seizure involving U.S. dollars, Euros, Guinean francs, Peruvian soles, Kuwaiti dinars, and Swiss francs from a single traveler. These figures reflect consistent, active enforcement across the Buffalo Field Office’s ports, not sporadic activity.

At the Buffalo area crossings specifically, currency seizures tend to involve the Canada–U.S. traveler profile: Canadian citizens entering the United States, U.S. citizens returning from Canada, and cross-border commuters and tourists who may be unfamiliar with or have underestimated the reporting requirement. The law applies identically to Canadian citizens and U.S. citizens — nationality is not a defense to a failure to report.

How Canada–U.S. Land Border Seizures Differ from Airport Seizures

Many people are more familiar with the currency reporting requirement in the context of international air travel. The same federal law applies at land border crossings, but the enforcement context differs in important ways:

Vehicle inspections are the primary mechanism. CBP officers select vehicles for secondary inspection at the bridge crossings, using canine units and inspection technology to detect unreported currency. You do not need to have drawn suspicion — routine selection is sufficient grounds for a secondary exam.
Both directions are enforced. The reporting requirement applies when entering the United States from Canada and when departing the United States into Canada. Northbound enforcement — cash crossing into Canada — is also active at Buffalo area bridges.
Canadian currency counts. The $10,000 reporting threshold applies to the combined total of U.S. and foreign currency. Canadian dollars, Euros, and other monetary instruments count toward the threshold. Travelers who believe they are under the limit because they are carrying Canadian funds may be mistaken.
Frequent crossers are not exempt. Cross-border commuters and regular travelers who cross regularly — including NEXUS holders — are subject to the same reporting requirement on every crossing. There is no exemption for frequent or trusted travelers when currency over $10,000 is being transported.

Common Violations at the Port of Buffalo

Under 31 U.S.C. § 5316, any person crossing a U.S. international border with more than $10,000 in currency or monetary instruments must report it to CBP. The most common violations at Buffalo area crossings include:

Failure to report on entry — Currency over $10,000 carried into the United States from Canada without a FinCEN 105 declaration. This is the most common scenario at Buffalo area crossings.
Failure to report on departure — Cash being carried into Canada without a FinCEN 105 filing. Northbound enforcement is active at the Peace Bridge and Lewiston crossings.
Inaccurate declaration — Reporting an amount less than what is actually being carried. A material discrepancy between the declared and discovered amount gives CBP grounds to seize the full amount.
Structuring — Dividing funds among passengers in a vehicle to keep individual amounts under $10,000, charged under 31 U.S.C. § 5324. CBP treats vehicle occupants as a group for reporting purposes.
Bulk cash smuggling — Currency concealed in a vehicle or on a person with intent to evade the reporting requirement, charged under 31 U.S.C. § 5332. This is the most serious violation and carries the highest forfeiture exposure.

What Happens After a Cash Seizure at Buffalo

At the time of seizure, CBP will issue a Custody Receipt for Seized Property. Within 60 days, the Fines, Penalties and Forfeitures office will send a Notice of Seizure and Information to Claimants by certified mail along with the Election of Proceedings form. You must choose how to respond. Your three options are:

Administrative Petition for Remission or Mitigation — You ask CBP to return all or part of the money through an internal review, keeping the matter out of federal court. A well-constructed petition that demonstrates the legitimacy of the funds and addresses the specific circumstances of the crossing is the most common path to recovery.
CAFRA Seized Asset Claim — You formally contest the seizure and demand federal court proceedings, shifting the burden of proof to the government.
Offer in Compromise — You propose a settlement, paying a portion of the seized amount in exchange for return of the remainder.

Read our detailed guide to the Election of Proceedings form and our analysis of which option is best for your situation.

Act Before the Deadline

Once the Notice of Seizure is issued, you generally have 30 days to file an Election of Proceedings. Miss that deadline and CBP may proceed with administrative forfeiture — your money is gone without any court review. There is no grace period.

Do not contact the FP&F office on your own. Do not make any statements about the money or its source without counsel. Read our guide on why you must remain silent after a currency seizure.

What Evidence Will You Need

Regardless of which proceeding you elect, you must affirmatively demonstrate that the seized funds came from a legitimate source and were intended for a lawful purpose. CBP does not presume legitimacy — the burden falls entirely on you. Supporting documentation typically includes bank records and withdrawal history, tax returns and income documentation, business records or contracts, statements from family members or business partners, currency exchange records, and documentation specific to the intended use of the funds.

For Canadian citizens whose seizure occurred at a Buffalo-area crossing, it is worth noting that U.S. federal forfeiture law governs the recovery process regardless of your nationality. The process runs through U.S. CBP, not Canadian authorities, and your petition or claim must be directed to the CBP FP&F office — not to the Canadian Border Services Agency. Read our full guide to evidence and documentation for currency seizure cases.

The CBP Buffalo Field Office

Currency seizures at the Port of Buffalo are processed through the CBP Buffalo Area Port (port code 0901), under the jurisdiction of the CBP Buffalo Field Office. Unlike most other U.S. ports, Buffalo has its own dedicated field office — it does not report through New York or another regional hub. The Buffalo Field Office oversees 16 ports of entry across all of New York State. Great Lakes Customs Law works with FP&F offices at Canada–U.S. land border ports and across the country, and understands how to navigate seizure cases within the Buffalo Field Office jurisdiction.

Our Results at Land Border Ports and Nationwide

Great Lakes Customs Law has represented clients with currency seizures at Canada–U.S. land border crossings and at ports of entry across the country. Jason Wapiennik has handled more than 700 currency seizure cases and recovered more than $11 million for clients nationwide. The same federal forfeiture law that governs airport seizures governs land border seizures at Buffalo — you do not need a New York attorney to contest a Buffalo seizure effectively.

See our currency seizure case results.

Get a Free Consultation Today

If CBP seized your cash at Peace Bridge, Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, Rainbow Bridge, or Whirlpool Bridge, contact us now for a free currency seizure consultation. The sooner we review your case, the more options are available to fight for a full recovery.

Read our full CBP Money Seizure Lawyer’s Guide or reach out directly using the contact options on this page.