Here’s What to Do.

The Brownsville Port of Entry sits at the southern tip of Texas on the U.S.-Mexico border, where CBP officers conduct both inbound and outbound enforcement operations at two international bridge crossings: the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge and the Gateway International Bridge. Unlike airport seizures, which typically involve travelers carrying cash in luggage or on their person, Brownsville seizures most often occur during outbound vehicle inspections — cash being carried south into Mexico in cars, trucks, and SUVs. If CBP has seized your currency at Brownsville, 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.

Great Lakes Customs Law has handled currency seizure cases at land border ports of entry and at ports across the country. Read on to understand what happened, what you are facing, and how we can help.

Brownsville: An Outbound Enforcement Port

The Brownsville Port of Entry is one of the most active ports in Texas for outbound currency enforcement. CBP officers routinely select southbound vehicles for inspection as they cross into Mexico, and CBP press releases document a consistent pattern of seizures at both bridge crossings — $71,000 from a vehicle at the Gateway International Bridge in November 2024, $74,000 from a Jeep Grand Cherokee at the Brownsville and Matamoros Bridge in May 2024, $78,000 from a BMW the same month, $106,000 from a Jeep in April 2022, $107,000 across two actions in August 2024, and $184,000 from a single vehicle in May 2023. These are not rare or exceptional events — they represent routine enforcement operations that CBP conducts as a matter of standard practice at Brownsville.

Brownsville’s enforcement profile reflects its location. The port sits across from Matamoros, Tamaulipas — a region with documented cartel activity — and CBP’s outbound mission at Brownsville is explicitly oriented toward disrupting bulk cash smuggling that funds criminal organizations operating across the border. Canine units and nonintrusive inspection technology, including vehicle X-ray and imaging systems, are routinely deployed at secondary inspection. Officers are experienced at locating concealed currency in vehicles, and seizures frequently involve cash packaged in bundles, wrapped in rubber bands, or hidden within vehicle compartments.

How Land Border Currency Seizures Differ from Airport Seizures

At an airport, CBP’s currency enforcement typically focuses on travelers filing — or failing to file — a FinCEN 105 form as part of the international arrival or departure process. At a land border crossing like Brownsville, the dynamic is different in several important ways:

• Vehicle inspections are the primary enforcement mechanism. CBP officers select vehicles for routine outbound inspections, refer them to secondary, and use canine units and imaging technology to detect concealed currency. You do not need to be flagged for suspicious behavior — routine selection is sufficient.
• Outbound enforcement is the dominant pattern. The vast majority of documented Brownsville seizures involve cash being taken south into Mexico, not northbound inbound currency. If you were crossing into Mexico and CBP found unreported currency in your vehicle, this is the relevant enforcement framework.
• The reporting requirement applies at land crossings. The same federal law — 31 U.S.C. § 5316 — that requires international air travelers to file a FinCEN 105 form applies equally to anyone crossing a U.S. land border with more than $10,000 in currency or monetary instruments. Outbound travelers must declare currency at the time of departure.
• Arrests occur more frequently at land border ports. Unlike many airport seizures where travelers are released to continue their journey, Brownsville CBP press releases frequently note criminal consequences alongside civil forfeiture. If you were arrested in connection with your seizure, you face both civil forfeiture of the currency and potential criminal prosecution — consult an attorney immediately.

Common Violations at the Brownsville Port of Entry

The violations that give CBP authority to seize currency at Brownsville are the same as at any U.S. port of entry:

• Failure to report on departure — Carrying more than $10,000 in currency across the border into Mexico without filing a FinCEN 105 form. This is the most common violation at Brownsville by far.
• Bulk cash smuggling — Concealing currency in a vehicle, in packaging, or on your person with intent to evade the reporting requirement, charged under 31 U.S.C. § 5332. Given the enforcement context at Brownsville, this is the charge most frequently associated with seizures here, and it carries the highest exposure to criminal prosecution and civil forfeiture.
• Structuring — Dividing funds among passengers in a vehicle or across multiple crossings to keep individual amounts under $10,000, charged under 31 U.S.C. § 5324.
• Failure to report on arrival — Currency carried northbound into the United States from Mexico without a FinCEN 105 declaration.

What Happens After a Seizure at Brownsville

At the time of seizure, CBP will issue a Custody Receipt for Seized Property documenting the amount seized. 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. Success depends on demonstrating the legitimacy of the funds and the absence of criminal intent.
• CAFRA Seized Asset Claim — You formally contest the seizure and demand federal court proceedings, placing the burden of proof on the government. In cases where CBP’s evidence is weak or procedurally flawed, this option can be powerful.
• Offer in Compromise — You propose a settlement, paying a portion of the seized amount in exchange for return of the remainder.

At Brownsville, the enforcement context — bulk cash moving toward the border in a vehicle — means CBP will often characterize seizures as bulk cash smuggling rather than simple failure to report. The distinction matters significantly for which option makes sense and what outcome is realistically achievable. Read our 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 — the money is gone without any court review. There is no grace period. If you were also arrested, you may face separate criminal deadlines that require even faster action.

Do not contact the FP&F office on your own. Do not make any statements about the money, its source, or its intended use 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. At Brownsville, given the enforcement context, CBP will scrutinize these claims carefully. 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 — whether for property purchases, business transactions, family support, or other lawful purposes in Mexico.

The strength of your documentation directly affects the outcome. Read our full guide to evidence and documentation for currency seizure cases.

Brownsville’s CBP Port and Field Office

Currency seizures at the Brownsville Port of Entry are processed through CBP port code 2301, under the jurisdiction of the CBP Laredo Field Office. The Laredo Field Office oversees a large swath of South Texas border enforcement, including multiple bridge crossings along the Rio Grande Valley. Great Lakes Customs Law works with FP&F offices at land border ports and airports across the country, including within the Laredo Field Office jurisdiction.

Our Results at Land Border Ports and Nationwide

Great Lakes Customs Law has represented clients with currency seizures at land border ports of entry and at ports 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 — you do not need a Texas attorney to contest a Brownsville seizure effectively.

See our currency seizure case results.

Get a Free Consultation Today

If CBP has seized your cash at the Brownsville Port of Entry, contact us now for a free currency seizure consultation. Land border seizures — particularly those involving bulk cash smuggling charges — benefit from early legal involvement. The sooner we review your case, the more options are available.

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