Great Lakes Customs Law serves clients throughout metropolitan Detroit and across Michigan from its office at 32437 5 Mile Road in Livonia. Attorney Jason Wapiennik is barred in Michigan and has represented importers, travelers, and businesses facing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enforcement actions at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) and the international border crossings along the state’s frontier with Canada.
CBP maintains one of its most active enforcement operations in the country along the Detroit corridor. The Ambassador Bridge, the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, and the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron are among the busiest land crossings on the northern border, and currency seizures, failure-to-declare violations, and merchandise seizures occur regularly. If CBP has seized your cash or issued a Notice of Seizure, acting quickly is critical to preserving your options.
For importers and businesses, Michigan’s position as a manufacturing and cross-border freight hub means CBP penalty exposure is a real operational risk. From 19 USC § 1592 penalty notices to liquidated damages claims and prior disclosures, Great Lakes Customs Law helps Michigan-based importers and their brokers respond effectively and minimize financial exposure.
What We Handle From Our Detroit Office
Currency seizures at Detroit Metro and Michigan border crossings — If CBP seized your cash for failure to report, structuring, or bulk cash smuggling, we handle the administrative petition process and all subsequent proceedings. You can review recent local enforcement on our Detroit cash seizure page, or learn more about your options on our currency seizure practice page.
CBP penalty defense — We represent importers responding to fraud, negligence, and gross negligence penalty notices under 19 USC § 1592, as well as liquidated damages and other civil enforcement actions. If you have received a penalty notice, do not respond without counsel — the positions you take early in the process can affect your outcome significantly.
Tariff and trade compliance — Michigan importers facing Section 301 China tariff issues, antidumping and countervailing duty scope questions, classification disputes, or country-of-origin challenges can work with our office directly. Visit our import compliance practice page for a full overview of services.
Prior disclosures — Voluntary prior disclosure under 19 USC § 1592 can significantly reduce penalty exposure. We advise Michigan importers on timing, scope, and strategy before CBP opens a formal investigation.
Serving Clients Statewide and Nationally
While our Detroit-area office is located in Livonia, we represent clients throughout Michigan and handle customs matters at ports of entry nationwide. CBP enforcement does not stop at state lines, and neither does our practice. Attorney Jason Wapiennik has over 15 years of experience focused exclusively on customs law and has handled more than 700 cases for clients across the country.
To speak with Jason about a customs matter, call our Detroit office at (734) 855-4999, text or WhatsApp +1 (734) 855-4999, or submit your information online for a free case review.
Detroit Office
Great Lakes Customs Law
32437 5 Mile Road
Livonia, MI 48154
Phone: (734) 855-4999
Hours & Information
Our Livonia, Michigan office serves the entire Detroit metropolitan area, minutes from Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) and within reach of the Ambassador Bridge, the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Mon–Fri: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM (EST)
Phone: (734) 855-4999
Email: legal@greatlakescustomslaw.com