U.S. Customs seized almost $230,000 from a U.S. citizen leaving the United States. This is a different scenario from the usual airport currency seizure case we handle. In this instance, it appears that the people transporting (smuggling). To get the seized money back from Customs this person would need to show that the cash came from a legitimate source, had a legitimate intended use, and file a petition, make an offer in compromise, or file a claim. You shouldn’t decide whether to file a petition, make an officer in compromise, or file a claim until you’ve consulted with an attorney who is experienced in customs money seizures.
The relevant portion of the story is quoted below (full story is here):
On Sept. 28, CBP officers assigned to the Hidalgo International Bridge, working outbound operations selected a blue 2006 Honda Pilot for inspection. The 26-year-old female United States citizen from Pharr, Texas and the vehicle were referred for further secondary examination and it was during the course of the inspection that officers discovered bundles of U.S. currency hidden within a duffle bag in the rear of the SUV. CBP OFO removed 24 bundles of unreported U.S. currency totaling $230,753, which was seized along with the vehicle.
Officers discovered bundles of U.S. currency hidden within a duffle bag in the rear of the SUV. CBP OFO removed 24 bundles of unreported U.S. currency totaling $230,753.
CBP OFO arrested the woman and then released her to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents for further investigation. “CBP Field Operations enforces both incoming and outbound laws and regulations, which includes the proper reporting of currency, be it from the United States or from any other country,” said Acting Port Director Javier Cantu, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry
It is not a crime to carry more than $10,000, but it is a federal offense not to declare currency or monetary instruments totaling $10,000 or more to a CBP officer upon entry or exit from the U.S. or to conceal it with intent to evade reporting requirements. Failure to declare may result in seizure of the currency and/or arrest. An individual may petition for the return of currency seized by CBP officers, but the petitioner must prove that the source and intended use of the currency was legitimate.
If you have had currency seized from Customs do not try to respond yourself but hire our firm, because we know what we are doing and have successfully handled many cases like yours. If you have questions, please give us a call at (734) 855-4999. We are able to assist with cash seized by customs around the country, including Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and many other places, and not just locally in Detroit. Please read these other articles:
From local news sources, here is a story about a cash seizure by Customs valued at nearly $50,000:
Lopez-Gonzalez and another man, Emilio Gonzalez-Sosa, attempted to cross the international bridge in a maroon and gold 1994 Chevrolet C20 van, according to the criminal complaint and the news release. They denied having more than $10,000 cash — a standard question for people crossing the border.Officers referred the van to secondary inspection, where they discovered $48,995 hidden inside the engine’s intake manifold, according to the criminal complaint.
Head over to the Brownsville Herald and Valley Central to read the full stories.If you have had currency seized from Customs do not try to respond yourself but hire our firm, because we know what we are doing and have successfully handled many cases like yours. If you have questions, please give us a call at (734) 855-4999. We are able to assist with cash seized by customs around the country, including Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and many other places, and not just locally in Detroit. Please read these other articles:
In this customs cash seizure story, Customs seized $10,436 from an American living in Mexico while entering the United States. Although the story reveals little more than a failure to report, apparently the man is going to be prosecuted for bulk cash smuggling (which is the intentional concealing of the money with the intent to evade the reporting requirement).
DEL RIO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Del Rio Port of Entry seized more than $10,000 in undeclared currency from a U.S. citizen living in Mexico early this week.
Customs currency seizure results in more than $10,000 in money seized.
Around 5 p.m. Sept. 21, CBP officers at Del Rio International Bridge, inspected a 2000 Volkswagen Jetta as it departed the United States bound for Mexico. During inspection, officers discovered a total of $10,436 in U.S. currency in the possession of a passenger in the vehicle.
The passenger, an 18-year-old male U.S. Citizen residing in Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico, was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for federal prosecution on a charge of 31 U.S. Code § 5332 – bulk cash smuggling into or out of the United States.
Officers discovered a total of $10,436 in U.S. currency in the possession of a passenger.
“Large amounts of currency may be imported and exported with the proper documentation,” said Port Director Alberto D. Perez, Del Rio Port of Entry. “Failure to report international transit of $10,000 or more could mean forfeiture of funds and criminal sanctions.”
If you have had currency seized from Customs do not try to respond yourself but hire our firm, because we know what we are doing and have successfully handled many cases like yours. If you have questions, please give us a call at (734) 855-4999. We are able to assist with cash seized by customs around the country, including Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and many other places, and not just locally in Detroit. Please read these other articles:
Customs at the port of Dertroit is offering a pointed reminder to Hajj pilgrims returning to the United States; declare everything you acquired overseas, especially food and agricultural items, but most importantly declare your cash over $10,000! The Hajj ends on September 26, and pilgrims returning through Detroit Metropolitan Airport with more than $10,000 could have all their currency seized if it totals more than $10,000.
If you travel with $10,000, be sure to declare money to customs.
Be extra careful and if it’s cash and it belongs to other people you are traveling with, declare it anyway and explain the situation to Customs before you get caught up in intensive questioning. Talk to those you are traveling with to see how much cash they are carrying so that you don’t failure to make a report out of ignorance, and so customs cannot accuse you of structuring. Husbands and wives… this a great time to communicate about money.
Here’s the instructions on how you can file a currency report:
All travelers are also reminded of the currency and reporting requirement found on your customs declaration (CBP Form 6059b). You may bring into or take out of the country, including by mail, as much money as you wish. However, if it is more than $10,000, you will need to report it to CBP. Ask the CBP officer for the Currency Reporting Form (FinCen 105). The penalties for non-compliance can be severe. “Money” means monetary instruments and includes U.S. or foreign coins currently in circulation, currency, travelers’ checks in any form, money orders, and negotiable instruments or investment securities in bearer form.
If it’s too late for you and you’ve had your money seized by Customs for failure to file a currency report, bulk cash smuggling, or a structuring violation, do not lose hope. It is possible for you to get your money back. You can find out more about how to get back seized currency by reading our article RESPONDING TO A CUSTOMS CURRENCY SEIZURE.
If you have had cash seized by customs and are contemplating what to do next, please make use of the other information available on this website or call our office at (734) 855-4999 to speak to a customs lawyer, or e-mail us through our contact page. We are able to assist with cash seized by customs around the country, including Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and many other places, and not just locally in Detroit.
U.S. Customs seized $39,000 worth of USD and Euro currency from a Greek man who, I am willing to bet, was attempting to take his money out of the de-stabalized Greek banking and political system and into the “safe haven” of the United States. Unfortunately for him, his money was seized before ever stepping foot outside the Philadelphia airport because he failed to report traveling with more than $10,000. He not only failed to report the currency, but he had it concealed within the pages of a book; which, due to the concealment, will give rise to allegations of bulk cash smuggling, which often makes it very hard to get money back even when legitimacy of source and use is proven. Here is the story:
Customs officers seized unreported currency totaling $39,657, much of it concealed within the pages of a hard-back book.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized $39,657 in unreported currency, much of it concealed within the pages of a hard-back book, from a Greek man at Philadelphia International Airport Wednesday.
While roving among passengers who arrived from Athens, Greece, a CBP officer questioned the man about the total currency he possessed. The man verbally reported that he had $2,500 in U.S. dollars and 1,500 in Euros. He also wrote that amount on his declaration form and signed it.During a baggage examination, the CBP officer discovered a large sum of currency concealed in the book. A currency verification revealed that the man possessed $4,600 in U.S. dollars and 31,525 in Euros. The combined currency equaled $39,657 in equivalent U.S. dollars.
“Seizing a traveler’s currency is not a pleasant experience, but there are severe consequences for violating U.S. laws,” said Susan Stranieri, CBP Port Director for the Area Port of Philadelphia. “We hope that this seizure is a lesson for all travelers that the easiest way to hold on to their currency is to honestly report it all to a Customs and Border Protection officer.”
CBP officers provide travelers with multiple opportunities to truthfully report all of their currency. Travelers who refuse to comply with federal currency reporting requirements risk having their currency seized, and potentially face criminal charges. There is no limit to how much currency travelers may bring to, or take from the U.S. However, federal law requires travelers to complete financial reporting forms for any amount that exceeds $10,000 in U.S. dollars or equivalent foreign currency.
If you have had currency seized from Customs do not try to respond yourself but hire our firm, because we know what we are doing and have successfully handled many cases like yours. If you have questions, please give us a call at (734) 855-4999. We are able to assist with cash seized by customs around the country, including Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and many other places, and not just locally in Detroit.
Not quite a customs currency seizure, but similar enough to the topic and the stories we write about on this customs law blog that I thought it good to share it, for those interested. Border patrol seized around $138k in cash that was stashed away in the tailgate of a pick-up truck being driven by a 40 year old U.S. citizen. Border patrol does exactly what their name indicates; the patrol the borders. In this case, nothing in the story suggests that the vehicle was attempting entry into Mexico so I would say this stop did not occur “at the border” where the government can essentially search you without limitation. Because it did not occur “at the border” the police would have had to get a warrant to search the vehicle, or it would have to fall under one of the warrant exceptions. The driver made this easy for border patrol, because he consented to the search of his vehicle anyway (oops). That’s always a bad idea. Here’s the story:
U.S. Border Patrol agents patrolling Interstate 5 arrested a man on Tuesday who had a large quantity of illicit cash hidden inside the tail gate and other areas of his truck.
More than $130K was concealed inside this truck after requesting permission from 40-year-old U.S. citizen to search the back end of his truck.
At approximately 8 a.m., agents on southbound Interstate 5 stopped a 2004 Chevrolet Colorado truck. Agents approached the 40-year-old U.S. citizen and received permission to search the back end of his truck.
A quick glimpse with a flashlight revealed that the tail gate interior was filled with bundles of cash. Agents arrested the man and transported the vehicle to a nearby station for further investigation. Agents found additional bundles of cash behind the truck tail lights and in the man’s pockets. More than $130K was concealed inside the truck between the tail-gate and tail-light body panels.
The search yielded a seizure of $137,017 in U.S. currency. The man was turned over to agents from Homeland Security Investigations for currency smuggling. The cash and vehicle were seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.
If you have had currency seized from Customs do not try to respond yourself but hire our firm, because we know what we are doing and have successfully handled many cases like yours. If you have questions, please give us a call at (734) 855-4999. We are able to assist with cash seized by customs around the country, including Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and many other places, and not just locally in Detroit. Please read these other articles:
Customs officers seize hidden cash behind automobile seat, totaling more than $65,000 in US currency.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a 24-year-old Mexican national Wednesday (July 22) for failing to declare more than $65,000 in U.S. currency when he attempted to cross into Mexico through the Port of Nogales.
Officers conducting outbound inspections at the Dennis DeConcini crossing selected a Ford sedan, driven by Marco Allan Nevarez-Guzman of Magdalena, Sonora, Mexico, for further inspection and found unreported money hidden behind the vehicle’s seats.
Officers processed the vehicle and currency for seizure, arrested and referred Nevarez to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
If you have had currency seized from Customs do not try to respond yourself but hire our firm, because we know what we are doing and have successfully handled many cases like yours. If you have questions, please give us a call at (734) 855-4999. We are able to assist with cash seized by customs around the country, including Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and many other places, and not just locally in Detroit. Please read these other articles:
A new bulk cash smuggling case out of Yuma sector/California. This is different from the Customs seizures of currency our firm’s clients who have their money seized at airports around the country when traveling internationally. A bulk cash smuggling charges decreases the likelihood of a favorable return of seized currency. You can read the fully story here, but the relevant excerpt is below:
A Yuma Sector Border Patrol canine team alerted and located 57 grams of marijuana, 172 grams of hash, 700 milligrams of cannabis oil, drug paraphernalia, and $225,655 U.S. currency, while attempting to travel through Blythe Station’s checkpoint on California Highway 78. The vehicles, drugs, paraphernalia, U.S. currency, and all subjects will be processed per Yuma Sector guidelines.
If you have had cash seized by customs and are contemplating what to do next then use the information available on this website and call our office at (734) 855-4999 to speak to a customs lawyer, or e-mail us through our contact page. We are able to assist with cash seized by customs around the country, including Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and many other places, and not just locally in Detroit. Please read these other articles:
In another classic “bulk cash smuggling” offense, CBP officers in at the southern border seized nearly $500,000 in secreted away in a pick-up truck driven by a U.S. citizen from Texas. The incident resulted an arrest. Although you wouldn’t know it from the news release, this is more than just a “failure to report” or “failure to declare” currency. This is bulk cash smuggling. Bulk cash smuggling makes it much more likely that you will NOT get the money back even if you can show that there was a legitimate source and intended use.
“This is one of the larger seizures of undeclared currency we have seen in recent memory and is reflective of a robust enforcement posture and an effective application of the skill and training of our frontline officers,” said Port Director Joseph Misenhelter, Laredo Port of Entry.
The seizure occured on July 27 at Lincoln-Juarez Bridge when CBP officers and agents conducting outbound examinations referred a 2010 Dodge Ram pickup truck driven by a 43-year-old male U.S. citizen from Laredo, Texas for a secondary examination. During the examination, CBP officers discovered bundles containing $481,711 in undeclared currency hidden within the vehicle.
CBP officers seized the currency, arrested the driver and turned him over to Homeland Security Investigations special agents for further investigation.
Individuals are permitted to carry any amount of currency or monetary instruments into or out of the U.S. However if the quantity is $10,000 or higher they must formally report the currency to CBP. Failure to declare may result in seizure of the currency and/or arrest. An individual may petition for the return of currency seized by CBP officers, but the petitioner must prove that the source and intended use of the currency was legitimate.
If you have had cash seized by customs and are contemplating what to do next then use the information available on this website and call our office at (734) 855-4999 to speak to a customs lawyer, or e-mail us through our contact page. We are able to assist with cash seized by customs around the country, including Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and many other places, and not just locally in Detroit. Please read these other articles:
In a classic “bulk cash smuggling” offense, CBP officers at the southern border seized nearly $500,000 in currency hidden in a box of diapers, trash bags, and bucket of paint. The incident resulted in a seizure of the vehicle and the currency, but it’s unclear if the driver and passenger were arrested.
Occasionally I’m asked if Customs can still seize your currency for any reason if you report it all? The answer is sure, if they have sufficient cause to believe that you are involved in a crime because of suspicious circumstances. Here, that is clear; normally, people do not travel with half million dollars in cash in a diaper box across the Mexico border. The story, with pictures, follows (original HERE):
Officers discovered several wrapped bundles of U.S. currency concealed inside a box of diapers, a box of trash bags, and a five-gallon bucket of paint.
The incident occurred shortly before 4 p.m. on July 15, when CBP officers were conducting southbound inspections of travelers heading to Mexico through the Calexico downtown border crossing. Officers targeted a 2005 Nissan Maxima and referred the driver, her female passenger, and vehicle for a more in-depth examination.
Officers utilized the port’s imaging system and discovered anomalies within merchandise stored in the Maxima’s trunk. A CBP detector dog alerted to the trunk, and officers discovered several wrapped bundles of U.S. currency concealed inside a box of diapers, a box of trash bags, and a five-gallon bucket of paint that were loaded inside.
Officers extracted 46 packages of cash from the vehicle’s trunk, yielding a total amount of $457,373. The 45-year-old driver and 21-year-old passenger, both U.S. citizens and residents of Los Angeles, were turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations agents for further processing.
CBP seized the vehicle and currency.
It is a federal offense not to declare currency or monetary instruments totaling more than $10,000 to a CBP officer upon entry or exit from the U.S. or to conceal it with intent to evade reporting requirements. Failure to declare may result in seizure of the currency and/or arrest.
If you have had cash seized by customs and are contemplating what to do next, please make use of the other information available on this website or call our office at (734) 855-4999 to speak to a customs lawyer, or e-mail us through our contact page. We are able to assist with cash seized by customs around the country, including Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and many other places, and not just locally in Detroit. Please read these other articles:
U.S. currency, while attempting to travel through Blythe Station’s checkpoint on California Highway 78. The vehicles, drugs, paraphernalia, U.S. currency, and all subjects will be processed per Yuma Sector guidelines.![06102015%20TFO%20DOU%20Cash%203[1]](https://i0.wp.com/greatlakescustomslaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/cbp-478k-cash-seizure-300x215.jpg?resize=300%2C215)
Dodge Ram pickup truck driven by a 43-year-old male U.S. citizen from Laredo, Texas for a secondary examination. During the examination, CBP officers discovered bundles containing $481,711 in undeclared currency hidden within the vehicle.