Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport handles significant direct international traffic from the Caribbean, West Africa, the United Kingdom, and Europe — and CBP maintains a consistent currency enforcement operation at this port. The Baltimore Field Office also covers the Port of Baltimore, one of the most active seaports on the East Coast. This article documents some of the largest and most notable currency seizures in the Baltimore area and explains what the enforcement environment here means for travelers.
⚠️ Has CBP seized your cash in Baltimore? If CBP has seized your currency at Baltimore Washington International Airport or the Port of Baltimore, call us at (734) 855-4999 for a free consultation. We handle currency seizure cases at Baltimore and ports nationwide.
Why Baltimore Is a Consistent Currency Enforcement Port
BWI’s enforcement profile is driven by its Caribbean and West African routes. The airport handles significant direct service from Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Nigeria, and the United Kingdom — the same routes that generate consistent enforcement activity at Philadelphia, JFK, and Dulles. Baltimore CBP Port Director Ricardo Scheller’s statements in documented cases reflect an enforcement culture that emphasizes the multiple-opportunity warning process before seizure — and that seizes consistently when travelers decline those opportunities or when declared amounts are found to be materially false.
The Port of Baltimore is one of the more active East Coast seaports for a range of CBP enforcement activities. The port handles significant container cargo traffic and is a major entry point for vehicles, machinery, and consumer goods — all categories that have generated currency concealment cases at other major seaports.
Notable Large Currency Seizures at BWI
$70,737 Seized from a Ship Captain — M/V Sheng Ning Hai, January 2026
One of the most unusual recent Baltimore seizures involved the captain of the M/V Sheng Ning Hai, a Chinese-flagged COSCO Shipping bulk vessel. CBP conducted an enforcement boarding in Baltimore and discovered $70,737 in the purser’s safe — currency that had been supplemented by a $40,000 agent cash advance in Searsport, Maine, but not reported on an updated FinCEN 105. The captain had denied carrying currency during the boarding inspection. The vessel was released to continue its voyage; the currency was not. This case illustrates that the currency reporting requirement applies to vessel operators at U.S. seaports just as it applies to travelers at airports — and that the failure to amend a FinCEN 105 after receiving additional funds is treated as a reporting violation regardless of the legitimate maritime purpose of the cash.
$28,280 Seized from a Nigerian Man — Three Escalating Declarations
A documented BWI case involved a Nigerian man arriving from London who declared $6,000 to the first officer, revised his declaration to $8,000 and 800 British Pounds after a second officer asked, and then had $25,316 in U.S. dollars plus 1,385 British Pounds, 450 Euros, and Nigerian Naira discovered in his bags — a combined equivalent of $28,280. CBP seized the U.S. currency and Naira and returned the Pounds and Euros as humanitarian relief. The three-declaration escalation — $6,000, then $8,000, then the actual amount found — is the pattern that makes the subsequent petition for remission most challenging. Each declaration is a separate documented false statement, and the petition must address all three directly.
$16,000 Seized from a Nigerian Couple — BWI
A Nigerian couple arriving at BWI from London repeatedly declared possessing only $10,000 and presented two envelopes containing the equivalent of $10,345 in U.S. and foreign currency. After CBP explained the reporting requirements and asked again whether they were carrying any additional currency, they stated they were not. Officers then found an additional $6,200 in an envelope wrapped in clothing inside their luggage — bringing the total to $16,545. All $16,000 was seized. The case illustrates three of the most common misconceptions about the reporting requirement: that foreign currency does not count toward the threshold, that traveling companions each have a separate $10,000 allowance, and that only the unreported portion above the declared amount is subject to seizure.
$42,000 Seized from Jamaican Travelers — Multiple Incidents
CBP at BWI has documented multiple seizure cases involving Jamaican travelers — both arriving from Jamaica and departing to Jamaica — with unreported currency. The Baltimore-Jamaica route is one of the more consistently enforced corridors at BWI, reflecting the high volume of cash remittances flowing between the United States and Jamaica and the corresponding enforcement attention CBP applies to that traffic.
The Port of Baltimore — Maritime Currency Enforcement
The Port of Baltimore handles significant maritime traffic and is one of the more active East Coast seaports for CBP enforcement activity. The ship captain case from January 2026 is the most recently documented currency seizure at the Baltimore seaport, but maritime enforcement at Baltimore has generated other cases involving currency concealed in cargo containers and on commercial vessels calling at the port. CBP’s enforcement boarding authority at U.S. seaports gives it the same legal basis for currency examination that it exercises at airports and land border crossings.
What to Do If CBP Seized Your Cash at Baltimore
If CBP has seized your currency at BWI or the Port of Baltimore, contact us for a free consultation. Read our customs money seizure legal guide or watch the video series. Read our guide on why you must not contact CBP without an attorney after a seizure. 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.