The Detroit area is one of the most active currency seizure environments in the United States. The CBP Detroit Field Office oversees more ports of entry concentrated in a single metro region than almost anywhere else in the country — including an international airport, two major bridge crossings, a tunnel crossing, and a rail port — all operating under active outbound and inbound currency enforcement. If CBP has seized your cash at any of these locations, Great Lakes Customs Law is based minutes away in Livonia and has handled currency seizure cases at Detroit-area ports for more than 15 years.
CBP Detroit Field Office: Ports of Entry and Jurisdiction
The CBP Detroit Field Office oversees all ports of entry throughout Michigan and operates under the direction of the Director of Field Operations in Detroit. The major ports where currency seizures occur include:
- Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) — Port Code 3807. The primary international air gateway for the region, serving nonstop routes to Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. CBP officers at DTW conduct both inbound and outbound currency inspections. Outbound enforcement — targeting travelers departing the U.S. with unreported cash — is a consistent enforcement focus at DTW.
- Ambassador Bridge — Port of Detroit, Port Code 3801. The busiest commercial land crossing between the United States and Canada, handling roughly 25% of all U.S.-Canada trade by value. The Ambassador Bridge sees significant inbound and outbound passenger traffic in addition to commercial vehicles, and CBP conducts currency checks on both sides.
- Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. The passenger vehicle and bus tunnel crossing between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. A second land crossing point where travelers are subject to currency declaration requirements in both directions.
- Blue Water Bridge — Port Huron, Port Code 3802. Located approximately 60 miles north of Detroit at Port Huron, the Blue Water Bridge is a major crossing point for both commercial and passenger traffic between Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario. CBP officers here enforce the same currency reporting requirements as at the Ambassador Bridge and tunnel crossings.
- Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge. The northern Michigan crossing connecting Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario — also under Detroit Field Office jurisdiction and subject to currency enforcement.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge, currently under construction between Detroit and Windsor, will add a sixth major crossing point to the region upon completion, further expanding CBP’s presence in the Detroit area.
Why Detroit Sees High Volumes of Currency Seizures
The Detroit metro’s geography creates a uniquely high-enforcement environment for currency reporting. Michigan shares an international border with Canada at multiple crossings, and the Detroit area has deep community ties to countries in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia — populations that frequently travel internationally and often carry cash for legitimate family and business purposes. These travelers are disproportionately represented in CBP seizure data, not because they are acting illegally, but because the communities they are sending money to lack reliable banking infrastructure, making cash the practical means of transfer.
CBP’s outbound enforcement — inspecting travelers departing the U.S., not just arriving — is particularly active at Detroit-area ports. This means the reporting requirement applies in both directions, and travelers leaving through DTW, the Ambassador Bridge, or the Blue Water Bridge with more than $10,000 must file FinCEN Form 105 regardless of whether they are a U.S. citizen or a foreign national.
The Currency Reporting Requirement
Under 31 USC 5316, any person transporting more than $10,000 in currency or monetary instruments into or out of the United States must file a Report of International Transportation of Currency or Monetary Instruments — commonly called FinCEN Form 105. The requirement applies to:
- U.S. citizens and foreign nationals alike
- Cash, traveler’s checks, money orders, and bearer negotiable instruments
- Travel in both directions — entering and departing the United States
- Groups traveling together — the $10,000 threshold applies to the total amount being transported, not per person
Failure to file — even when the money is entirely legitimate — gives CBP authority to seize the full amount. The violation is the failure to report, not the possession of the money itself.
Types of Currency Violations CBP Enforces at Detroit Ports
CBP Detroit officers enforce three primary currency violations, each with different legal consequences and mitigation outcomes:
- Failure to report (31 USC 5316) — The most common basis for seizure. The traveler carried more than $10,000 without filing FinCEN Form 105. This is the most forgiving violation under CBP’s mitigation guidelines when the money has a clear legitimate source and intended use.
- Structuring (31 USC 5324) — CBP alleges the traveler divided currency among multiple people or trips to stay under the $10,000 reporting threshold. Structuring is treated more seriously than a simple failure to report and carries less favorable mitigation guidelines.
- Bulk cash smuggling (31 USC 5332) — CBP alleges the currency was concealed — in envelopes, a money belt, distributed across bags — with intent to evade the reporting requirement. This is the most serious classification and carries the harshest penalties, including potential criminal referral.
A single seizure at DTW, the Ambassador Bridge, or Blue Water Bridge can involve allegations under more than one statute simultaneously. Which theory CBP pursues determines how much of your money can be recovered and what arguments are available to you.
What Happens After CBP Seizes Your Cash in Detroit
After a seizure at any Detroit-area port, CBP will mail a formal Notice of Seizure to the address you provided — typically within a few weeks of the seizure date. The notice will identify the amount seized, the statute allegedly violated, and your options for responding. You will also receive an Election of Proceedings form requiring you to choose how to contest the seizure.
You generally have 30 days from the date of the notice to respond. Missing that deadline is treated as abandonment — CBP proceeds with forfeiture and the money is gone. Do not wait for a second notice or assume additional time is available.
The three response options are an administrative petition, a CAFRA judicial claim, or an offer in compromise. In the vast majority of cases, an administrative petition is the right first step — it is faster, less expensive than federal litigation, and preserves all other options if denied. Learn what evidence you need and how the process works.
Why Great Lakes Customs Law for a Detroit-Area Seizure
Great Lakes Customs Law is headquartered in Livonia — minutes from DTW and the Ambassador Bridge. Attorney Jason Wapiennik has handled currency seizure cases at CBP Detroit ports for more than 15 years and has developed direct working relationships with the Fines, Penalties & Forfeitures officers who decide these cases. No firm has more familiarity with how the Detroit Field Office handles currency seizure matters.
We know CBP’s unpublished mitigation guidelines, we know what evidence the Detroit FP&F office looks for, and we know how to present your case to achieve the best possible outcome. You can review our currency seizure case outcomes to see the results we have obtained for clients at Detroit-area ports and nationwide.
If your cash was seized at Detroit Metro Airport, the Ambassador Bridge, the Blue Water Bridge, the Windsor Tunnel, or any other Michigan port of entry, call us at (734) 855-4999 or contact us online for a free case review. Time is critical — the 30-day response window starts from the date of the notice, not the date you receive it.