There was a massive currency seizure at the Blue Water Bridge connecting Port Huron, Michigan with Sarnia, Ontario — part of the Detroit Field Office’s jurisdiction. More than $1 million in cash. The details make it one of the more unusual cases we have seen out of the Detroit area in recent years.
Here is what CBP reported:
On August 22, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations at the Blue Water Bridge seized over $1 million in currency from a U.S. citizen after he failed to report the funds to CBP officers. The male traveler and his family arrived in Port Huron after being refused entry into Canada. He initially denied carrying more than $10,000 to officials. Officers gave the traveler a chance to amend his declaration, which he modified to $990,000. Further inspection by CBP officers led to the discovery of two safes containing $1,096,584.
How This Case Unfolded — and Why Canada Matters
The sequence of events here is what makes this case unusual. The traveler and his family drove out of the United States across the Blue Water Bridge toward Canada — and at that moment, when he crossed the U.S. border outbound without filing a FinCEN 105 form, the violation under 31 U.S.C. § 5316 was already complete. The reporting requirement applies equally to currency leaving the United States as to currency entering it. He left with more than $10,000 — more than $1 million, as it turned out — without reporting it. That is a federal violation regardless of what happened next.
What happened next is that Canada refused him entry and sent him back. If Canada had let him through, CBP would likely never have known — unless the Canada Border Services Agency had found the money and reported back. But Canada turned him around, and he re-entered the United States through CBP at Port Huron. CBP, likely operating with heightened suspicion after the Canadian refusal, asked him whether he had currency to declare. He said no. Officers gave him a chance to amend. He then declared $990,000. Officers counted the money and found $1,096,584 — in two safes.
At this point the case involves at minimum two separate violations: the original failure to report upon exiting the United States, and the initial denial followed by an inaccurate amended declaration upon return. The initial “I have nothing to declare” answer — even though he was given a chance to correct it — is part of the record and will factor into how CBP characterizes the violation.
The Legal Complications of a $1 Million Seizure
Cases involving this much money operate under different rules than a typical airport seizure, and the procedural differences matter significantly for how the case resolves and how long it takes.
Under 19 U.S.C. § 1610, property valued at more than $500,000 must be judicially forfeited — meaning the government cannot complete the forfeiture administratively. It must file a civil forfeiture complaint in federal court. The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act (CAFRA) still applies, so a notice of seizure should be issued within the standard 60-day window (no later than 90 days in certain circumstances), but the ultimate resolution will go through federal court rather than through CBP’s internal FP&F process alone.
Even if the parties pursue a petition rather than a CAFRA claim, CBP policy removes cases valued at more than $100,000 from port-level officials entirely. A case of this size would be decided not by the Detroit FP&F office but by the Office of Regulations and Rulings at CBP headquarters in Washington, D.C. That adds time, adds layers of review, and requires a higher level of legal and factual development in the petition itself.
In typical Detroit-area seizure cases, I can usually resolve matters in roughly 90 days from seizure to return of funds. A case at this value — with judicial forfeiture requirements, headquarters-level review, and the complications described below — will take substantially longer.
What the Penalties Could Look Like
For a straightforward failure to report or inaccurate report under 31 U.S.C. § 5316, the civil penalty would be somewhere north of $50,000 — significant, but a fraction of the seized amount. The more serious exposure here is a bulk cash smuggling allegation under 31 U.S.C. § 5332. Given that the traveler passed outbound through CBP without reporting the money — essentially transporting it across the border with no declaration — a smuggling characterization is a plausible allegation. Under § 5332, the civil penalty can reach 50% of the total amount seized. On $1,096,584, that is more than $548,000.
Whether the government pursues the smuggling theory depends on what else the investigation turns up — the source of the funds, the intended use, the traveler’s history, and what his explanation is. The initial denial followed by an amended declaration that was still inaccurate by more than $100,000 does not help his position. But the facts that he was traveling with his family, that he did eventually disclose a large portion of the amount, and that no criminal charges are mentioned in the CBP release, all suggest this may not be a drug trafficking case — which would affect how aggressively the government pursues the smuggling theory.
For anyone in a situation like this, the importance of counsel cannot be overstated. The election of proceedings decision alone — whether to petition, file a CAFRA claim, or pursue an offer in compromise — has enormous consequences at this value level, and the wrong choice is very difficult to undo. Read our analysis of why you must not contact CBP without an attorney after a seizure of this kind.
Has Detroit CBP Seized Your Cash?
If CBP seized your cash at the Blue Water Bridge, Detroit Metro Airport, the Ambassador Bridge, or the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, you need a customs lawyer. Read our customs money seizure legal guide or watch the video series, and contact us for a free consultation using the buttons on this page.