Great Lakes Customs Law represents clients in currency seizure, CBP penalty defense, and import compliance matters at ports of entry nationwide. Attorney Jason Wapiennik has handled more than 700 cases at airports, land border crossings, and seaports across the United States. CBP enforcement does not stop at state lines, and neither does our practice — if CBP has seized your cash or issued a penalty notice anywhere in the country, we can help.
Our Offices
Great Lakes Customs Law maintains two office locations to serve clients in the Midwest and nationally. Our Detroit office at 32437 5 Mile Road, Livonia, Michigan is our founding location and the home base for currency seizure cases at Detroit Metro Airport, the Ambassador Bridge, the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, and the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron. Our Chicago office at 333 S. Wabash Avenue, Suite 2700 serves clients with seizures at O’Hare International Airport and throughout Illinois. Both offices handle matters nationwide — location is never a barrier to representation.
Airport Currency Seizure — Cities We Serve
CBP maintains active currency enforcement operations at every major U.S. international airport. If your cash was seized at any of the following airports, we represent clients at that port and have experience with the specific FP&F office handling your case.
Detroit
Detroit Metro Airport and the Detroit Field Office’s land border crossings — including the Ambassador Bridge, the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, and the Blue Water Bridge — are our home port. The Detroit Field Office is one of the most active currency enforcement operations in the country, having seized more than $7.8 million in a single fiscal year. We have been involved in dozens of Detroit-area seizure cases and have deep familiarity with the local FP&F office. Visit our Detroit currency seizure page for more information.
Chicago
O’Hare International Airport is one of the busiest international entry points in the country and handles significant direct traffic from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and South Asia. CBP conducts both inbound and outbound currency enforcement at O’Hare, and the Chicago FP&F office handles a high volume of seizure cases. Our Chicago office at 333 S. Wabash Avenue is positioned specifically to serve clients with O’Hare seizures. Visit our Chicago currency seizure page for more information.
Dallas-Fort Worth
DFW handles significant international traffic from Latin America, Europe, and Asia, and CBP conducts active outbound enforcement on flights to high-risk destinations. We handle seizure cases at DFW regularly. Visit our Dallas-Fort Worth currency seizure page for more information.
Washington Dulles
Dulles International Airport is among the most aggressive currency enforcement airports in the country. The Dulles FP&F office handles a high volume of cases and publishes enforcement statistics regularly. We have handled numerous Dulles seizure cases involving travelers from West Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Europe. Visit our Dulles Airport currency seizure page for more information.
New York — JFK and Newark
JFK and Newark Liberty International Airport are two of the highest-volume international entry points in the country. Both ports handle significant currency enforcement activity, and cases from the New York area are frequently elevated to CBP headquarters for decisions above $100,000. Visit our New York currency seizure page and our Newark Airport currency seizure page for more information.
Los Angeles
LAX handles the largest volume of international passengers on the West Coast and maintains active currency enforcement operations on arrivals from Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America. Visit our Los Angeles Airport currency seizure page for more information.
San Francisco
SFO is a major international gateway with significant direct service from Asia and handles regular currency enforcement actions on arrivals from high-risk corridors. Visit our San Francisco Airport currency seizure page for more information.
Miami
Miami International Airport handles the largest volume of Latin American and Caribbean traffic of any U.S. airport and is one of the most active ports for both inbound and outbound currency enforcement. Visit our Miami Airport currency seizure page for more information.
Houston
Houston’s international airports — George Bush Intercontinental and Hobby — handle significant international traffic and active currency enforcement. Visit our Houston currency seizure page for more information.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia International Airport handles direct international service from Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America. The Philadelphia FP&F office is active and well-staffed. Visit our Philadelphia Airport currency seizure page for more information.
Atlanta
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest airport in the world by passenger volume and handles significant international traffic from Europe, Latin America, and Africa. CBP maintains active enforcement at Atlanta and applies aggressive penalties for bulk cash smuggling and structuring violations. Visit our Atlanta Airport currency seizure page for more information.
Boston
Boston Logan International Airport handles direct service from Europe and the Caribbean and maintains regular currency enforcement operations. Visit our Boston Logan currency seizure page for more information.
Minneapolis
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport handles significant direct service from Africa and Asia, including routes that generate regular currency enforcement activity. Visit our Minneapolis Airport currency seizure page for more information.
Seattle
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport handles significant Asia-Pacific traffic and maintains active currency enforcement. Visit our Seattle-Tacoma Airport currency seizure page for more information.
Land Border Port Currency Seizure — Cities We Serve
CBP maintains outbound and inbound currency enforcement operations at all major U.S. land border crossings. Southern border ports are particularly active for outbound bulk cash enforcement targeting drug trafficking proceeds moving south into Mexico. We represent clients at land border crossings nationwide.
El Paso
El Paso is one of the busiest land border ports in the country and a major corridor for both legitimate cross-border traffic and outbound currency enforcement. CBP and Border Patrol conduct regular outbound operations at the Bridge of the Americas, Ysleta, and other El Paso crossings. Visit our El Paso currency seizure page for more information.
Laredo
Laredo is the highest-volume commercial land port in the United States and handles significant outbound currency enforcement activity. Visit our Laredo currency seizure page for more information.
Brownsville
Brownsville and the surrounding Rio Grande Valley ports are active outbound enforcement corridors. Visit our Brownsville currency seizure page for more information.
San Diego
San Diego’s land border crossings — including San Ysidro and Otay Mesa — are among the busiest in the world and maintain active outbound and inbound currency enforcement. Visit our San Diego currency seizure page for more information.
Tucson / Nogales
The Tucson port area — including the Nogales crossings — is a significant outbound enforcement corridor for bulk cash moving southbound into Mexico. Visit our Tucson currency seizure page for more information.
Buffalo
The Buffalo-Niagara area handles significant cross-border traffic between New York State and Ontario and maintains active currency enforcement at the Peace Bridge and Rainbow Bridge crossings. Visit our Buffalo currency seizure page for more information.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is U.S. territory, but travel between Puerto Rico and foreign destinations is international travel subject to the full currency reporting requirement. CBP maintains active enforcement at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan. Visit our San Juan currency seizure page for more information.
Customs Penalty Defense — Nationwide
Beyond currency seizure cases, Great Lakes Customs Law handles CBP penalty defense and import compliance matters for importers and businesses nationwide. If you have received a notice of penalty under 19 U.S.C. § 1592, a notice of liquidated damages, or a penalty notice for any other customs violation, we can help regardless of where in the country the violation occurred or which port is handling the matter.
Contact Us for a Free Consultation
No matter where in the United States your seizure or penalty matter occurred, Great Lakes Customs Law can represent you. We handle cases remotely for clients across the country and internationally — you do not need to be in Michigan or Illinois to work with us. Read our customs money seizure legal guide or watch the video series. See our currency seizure case outcomes. Call us at (734) 855-4999, send a text message, or reach us on WhatsApp. You can also contact us online for a free case review.