A seized UPS package can mean two very different problems. It might be a shipment of goods that CBP stopped and seized as it entered the country — counterfeits, undervalued merchandise, something not properly declared. Or it might be cash, intercepted by a federal task force that now intends to keep it through forfeiture. These are different legal worlds, with different agencies, different statutes, and different deadlines. Knowing which one you are in is the first and most important step toward getting your property back.
This page walks through both tracks a UPS seizure can follow, what is specific to UPS, and how to respond. It links throughout to the deeper practice pages for each situation.
First, Identify Which Seizure You Have
Merchandise & goods
- Typically an inbound international UPS shipment stopped by CBP
- Counterfeit or trademark-infringing goods
- Undervaluation or misclassification
- Failure to declare, or inadmissible goods
- Handled through the customs (often non-CAFRA) process
Cash & currency
- Domestic cash intercepted in transit, or currency crossing the border
- Domestic: civil forfeiture as suspected proceeds (CAFRA)
- International: FinCEN 105 reporting violation
- Seized by DEA, IRS-CI, a task force, or CBP
- Deadlines and forum depend on which
The Merchandise Track
UPS carries heavy international volume alongside its domestic network, and inbound parcels are subject to CBP inspection. When CBP finds a problem with imported goods, it detains and often seizes them. The recurring grounds — and the pages that address each — are worth knowing, because the defense differs by ground.
| Ground | Where to turn |
|---|---|
| Counterfeit / IP goods | See counterfeit import seizures and penalties |
| Undervaluation / misclassification | See customs valuation |
| Failure to declare | See failure to declare under 19 USC 1497 |
| Goods held, not yet seized | See customs detention of merchandise |
| General seizure defense | See non-CAFRA customs seizure defense |
Because customs merchandise seizures are frequently non-CAFRA, they come with a customs seizure notice and an election-of-proceedings decision — whether to petition CBP administratively or move the case toward court — rather than the CAFRA claim process that governs a domestic cash forfeiture. Choosing the right path is a strategic decision, not a formality.
The Cash Track
If the package held currency taken on a domestic UPS leg, it is almost always a civil forfeiture under 18 U.S.C. 981 or 21 U.S.C. 881, on the theory the money is connected to unlawful activity. That is a CAFRA case: written notice within 60 days, a 35-day claim window with no cost bond, and a 90-day government complaint deadline. If instead more than $10,000 in currency was crossing the border in an international UPS shipment, the issue becomes a FinCEN 105 reporting violation handled through the customs process. Our cash seized in transit overview, the domestic cash seizure practice, and the page on FinCEN 105 cover the details.
A dog’s alert to cash proves less than the government claims
In domestic cash cases the government relies heavily on a drug dog alerting to the package. But because most circulating U.S. currency carries trace narcotics residue from ordinary handling, an alert to a box of cash is consistent with the money being entirely ordinary. Depending on the circuit and the other evidence, that weakness can be pressed.
What’s Specific to UPS
UPS concentrates its air volume through Worldport, its global hub in Louisville, Kentucky, and that choke point is where both CBP inspection of international parcels and domestic profiling for cash and contraband happen at scale. Packages are flagged on profile — origin and destination, weight-to-value mismatch, packaging, and payment method. And like other private carriers, UPS’s published tariff and terms prohibit shipping currency and reserve inspection rights, which is why UPS parcels do not carry the constitutional protection sealed mail does, and why consent and profile-based searches are comparatively easy.
What to Do When You Get the Notice
Identify what was seized and by which agency — the notice tells you, and that dictates the governing law and your deadline. Calendar the response deadline immediately, since both the CAFRA claim window and the customs petition/election deadlines run from the notice date and mail delay eats into them. Gather documentation: for merchandise, the import and valuation records; for cash, the source-of-funds records that establish a legitimate origin. And do not contact the seizing agency or a prosecutor on your own, because statements become evidence.
A UPS seizure can be a customs merchandise matter, a domestic cash forfeiture, or a border-cash reporting case — three different processes. A customs and international trade lawyer can identify which one you face and take the correct first step, and you can review how seizure matters have resolved on our case outcomes page. If your shipment moved through a different carrier, see our pages on FedEx, DHL, and USPS seizures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did customs seize my UPS package?
Usually because an inbound international shipment was found to contain counterfeit or infringing goods, was undervalued or misclassified, was not accurately declared, or was otherwise inadmissible. CBP inspects international UPS parcels, and a problem can lead to detention and seizure through the customs process.
Was my UPS package seized for cash or for the goods inside?
The seizure notice identifies what was taken, the agency, and the legal basis. Cash intercepted domestically is typically a CAFRA civil forfeiture; imported goods are typically a customs seizure, often non-CAFRA; and border cash is a FinCEN 105 reporting matter. Each has a different response path.
How long do I have to respond to a UPS seizure?
The windows are short and depend on the track — a domestic forfeiture claim is generally due 35 days from the notice, while customs matters carry their own petition and election deadlines. All run from the notice date, so respond as soon as you receive it.
UPS package seized?
Merchandise held by customs or cash taken in transit call for different responses. A customs attorney can identify the framework and act within your deadline.