Tag: bulk cash smuggling

U.S. Customs Seizes Bulk Cash from 23 y/o US Citizen

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on November 30, 2014

In a currency seizure reported by U.S. Customs, customs seized over $250k 23 year old man headed into Mexico. No mention of an arrest, but just an ongoing investigation. This seizure is probably based on both bulk cash smuggling and failure to report. Both carry criminal consequences. Customs also gets the law wrong, as we explained below, which is a great reason to hire a lawyer for your customs money seizure case. Let’s have a look at the always-interesting-facts in this currency seizure story to see what the person did wrong that caused this encounter to end up as another customs airport money seizure:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting outbound enforcement operations at the Brownsville Port of Entry seized $259,750 in bulk U.S. currency. [ . . . ] Stacks of varying denominations totaling $259,750 in undeclared currency seized by CBP officers and agents recently at Brownsville Port of Entry.

On Nov. 24, CBP officers working outbound enforcement operations at the Gateway International Bridge came in contact with a silver 2007 Volkswagen Jetta as it attempted to exit the United States and enter Mexico. The driver, a 23-year-old United States citizen from Brownsville, Texas was referred to secondary for further inspection. In secondary, a search of the Jetta resulted in the discovery of two packages of bulk U.S. currency hidden within the vehicle. CBP officers seized the currency the vehicle and the case had been referred to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents for further investigation. [ . . . ]

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 this guy could prove the money came from a legitimate source and had a legitimate intended use, then this customs cash seizure was completely avoidable. Near the bottom of this story customs states that the law requires that a person file a formal report of “$10,000 or higher” into or out of the United States. That is incorrect. The law requires reports of more than $10,000. If even customs doesn’t know the law, you are better of hiring an attorney.

Our customs law firm handles currency/money seizures made by customs in Detroit and around the country; call (734) 855-4999 to consult with a customs lawyer today (you can read our popular page on Responding to a Customs Money Seizure HERE).If you have had money seized by Detroit CBP/customs call our office at (734) 855-4999 to speak to a lawyer, or e-mail us through our contact page (see our case results here). We are able to assist with cash seized by customs nationwide, including Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Orlando.

Please read these other articles customs currency seizures:

U.S. Customs Currency Seizures for Thanksgiving Travelers

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on November 25, 2014

Thanksgiving is apparently not the busiest travel day of the year, but it’s definitely one of the busiest. This year, with significant storm systems promising to delay flights at airports, Customs officers in the United States are going to have customs money seizure some extra time on their hands detect which travelers are transporting more than $10,000 in money and not filing the required reports. We have written about some criteria Customs officers can use to target certain people for violating the currency reporting requirements in an article which you can READ BY CLICKING HERE.

You should protect yourself from seizure and ensure that you comply with all the laws related to entering or leaving the United States, but most especially for readers of this customs law blog, the currency reporting requirements for the United States. Increased travel for the holidays means increased opportunities for customs to seize your money for failing to report the transport of more than $10,000 into or out of the United States.

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.

Please read these other articles:

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:

“Strapped” for Cash? U.S. Customs Will Seize It!

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on November 11, 2014

In a currency seizure reported by U.S. Customs, customs seized $50,000 from a 25 year old man headed into Mexico and arrested him; although not specifically stated in the story, the money was probably arrested for bulk cash smuggling and failure to report, which carries with it criminal consequences. If this guy could prove the money came from a legitimate source and had a legitimate intended use, then this customs cash seizure was completely avoidable. Our customs law firm handles currency/money seizures made by customs in Detroit and around the country; call (734) 855-4999 to consult with a customs lawyer today (you can read our popular page on Responding to a Customs Money Seizure HERE).

Here are the details from customs:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Ysidro port of entry Wednesday discovered $51,300 in unreported U.S. currency concealed underneath the clothing of a man traveling to Mexico on foot.

The incident occurred on November 4, at about 11:20 a.m., when CBP officers were conducting southbound inspections of travelers heading to Mexico through the San Ysidro port of entry. Officers targeted a 25-year-old male U.S. citizen, and escorted him to a secure area for further examination.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers inspecting travelers walking south into Mexico at the San Ysidro port of entry found these bundles of cash strapped (pictured at right) to a 25-year-old male U.S. citizen.During the inspection, a CBP currency and firearms detector dog alerted to the man, leading officers to the discovery of eleven wrapped bundles of U.S. currency concealed underneath layers of his clothing.

The man, a resident of Hacienda Heights, California, was arrested and turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations agents. He was later transported to the Metropolitan Correctional Center to await criminal arraignment. CBP seized the money.

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.

The fact that he was arrested might (but not necessarily does) indicate that customs believed he was transporting the money for some illegal purpose beyond just the smuggling/failure to report violation itself. Apparently the cash wasn’t wrapped good enough to get past the detetction dog‘s might impressive sense of smell.

If you have had money seized by Detroit CBP/customs call our office at (734) 855-4999 to speak to a lawyer, or e-mail us through our contact page (see our case results here). We are able to assist with cash seized by customs nationwide, including Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Orlando.

Please read these other articles customs currency seizures:

Customs Currency Smuggling Seizure

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on November 3, 2014

In this August story, Customs seized some U.S. Currency out-bound shipments because they were involved in currency smuggling (it’s worth mentioning that this story also styles it “unreported currency” like this one or that one or the one here). Like those stories, this cash is unreported, but more obviously, it is also smuggled. This is a little different than the usual customs money seizure case we handle, which are seizures of money at airports and land border crossings by customs (you can read our popular page on Responding to a Customs Money Seizure HERE).

IMPERIAL VALLEY, Calif. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the local ports of entry over the weekend foiled three attempts to smuggle 29 pounds of cocaine hidden in two wooden rocking horses, 752

prescription pills concealed in clothing, and $382,749 in unreported U.S. currency that was bound for Mexico.

[ . . . ]

The second incident occurred at about 7 a.m. on Aug. 16, when CBP officers were conducting southbound inspections of travelers heading to Mexico through the Calexico downtown border crossing. Officers targeted a 2001 Honda Accord and referred the driver, a 39-year-old Peruvian citizen, and his vehicle for a more in-depth examination.

While searching the vehicle, officers utilized the port’s imaging system and detected anomalies within the Accord’s rear quarter panels. Following an intensive search, officers extracted a total of 15 packages containing $382,749 in U.S. currency from inside the panels.

[ . . . ]

If you have had cash seized by customs and are contemplating what to do next 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.

Read these other articles about customs money seizures:

Yet Another Seizure of Cash by Customs

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on October 14, 2014

This is a customs money seizure news release trifecta, where customs is reporting about some failed cash smuggling attempts — that are headline as “unreported funds” cases. The two previous stories are here (involving over $2M seized) and here (involving a 74 year old man). Like those stories, this is more about smuggled currency rather than just “unreported funds,” which is a bulk cash smuggling violation. This is a little different than the usual customs money seizure case we handle, which is the seizuresof money at the airport by customs (you can read our popular page on Responding to a Customs Money Seizure HERE).

On to this story:

TUCSON, Ariz. – A 19-year-old man from Pasco, Washington was arrested Oct. 6 for attempting to smuggle nearly $240,000 in unreported U.S. currency into Mexico through the Port of Nogales.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting outbound inspections at the Dennis DeConcini crossing selected a Jaguar . . . for further inspection and found the unreported money hidden beneath the trunk’s undercarriage.

Officers processed the vehicle and currency for seizure, and referred Rodriguez to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

Read these other articles about customs money seizures:

CBP Seizes Money Over $2M; Why You Need A Lawyer

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on October 9, 2014

Sometimes people ask if they should hire a customs lawyer to get their money back that was seized by customs or if they can do it themselves. There’s a lot of great reasons why you should hire our firm, but one of them is that we know the law: you may not know the law, and oftentimes, as this article shows, customs does not know the law. The blind lead the blind off a cliff. A perfect example is that near the bottom of this story customs states that the law requires that a person file a formal report of “$10,000 or higher” into or out of the United States. That is incorrect. The law requires reports of more than $10,000.

Let’s get on to this story of a bulk cash smuggler and currency seizure case in Puerto Rico that netted CBP more than 2 million (original here): customs money seizure

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting ferry outbound operations at the San Juan Seaport seized more than $2 million Monday evening. The money was found in hidden compartments inside a truck [note: bulk cash smuggling] that was leaving Puerto Rico en route to the Dominican Republic onboard M/V Caribbean Fantasy ferry.

CBP personnel selected a truck with Puerto Rico license plates for an intensive examination after a preliminary non-intrusive inspection revealed certain anomalies. Subsequently a physical inspection revealed 22 bundles of hidden US Currency for an amount of $2,044,375. CBP officers seized the currency and took custody of the driver. He was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE- HSI) special agents in connection with the failed smuggling attempt and the US Attorney’s Office accepted the case for federal prosecution.

“CBP Officers conduct outbound examinations of passengers and cargo leaving the country in an effort to stop guns, ammunition and unreported currency from being smuggled out of the country. Their diligence paid off in this enforcement action,” said Juan Hurtado, San Juan Area port director. “The unreported cash [note: smuggled more than unreported!] that we seize has an impact on the criminal organizations by making it more difficult for them to further their illicit activities.”

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 [note: see below], they must formally report the currency to CBP. Failure to report may result in seizure of the currency and/or arrest.

Having an attorney is especially important if more than one person was traveling and the seizure was of cash, there are allegations of smuggling, or structuring, or if you experienced a lengthy detention or questioning at the time of seizure. We handle this and many other types of cases, which we publish the results of here. Read our popular article on responding to a currency seizure by clicking HERE.

CBP Seized $109K in Unreported Funds

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on October 2, 2014

On the tails of our last currency seizure post (here) comes this story about an elderly Yuma, Arizona man concealing a total of nine packages of currency in his windshield cowling in an apparent effort to smuggle it out of the country and into Mexico. Like the last story, this is more about smuggled currency rather than just “unreported funds,” which is a bulk cash smuggling violation. This is a little different than the usual cases we handle, which are seizures of money by customs at the airport (but, you can read our popular page on Responding to a Customs Money Seizure HERE).

On to this story:

Tucson, Ariz. — A 74-year-old Yuma man was arrested Monday for attempting to smuggle nearly $109,000 in unreported U.S. currency into Mexico through the Port of Nogales.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting outgoing inspections referred a Ford SUV for further inspection at the Dennis DeConcini crossing and located nine packages of currency hidden within the windshield cowling.

Officers seized the unreported currency and referred the driver to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

On Sept. 16, officers at the Mariposa crossing seized more than $189,000 found in the roof of a vehicle attempting to cross into Mexico.

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.

Read these other articles about customs money seizures:

Million Dollar Week for Customs Currency Seizures

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on September 11, 2014

Our customs currency seizure clients typically aren’t the type of people who smuggle hundreds of thousands of dollars across the border as part of some crime (see our typical cases here), and so the amounts of seized currency we typically see don’t quite reach the proportions of these recent CBP currency seizures in Arizona that netted CBP of more than a half million bucks. If these people could prove they weren’t up to no-good by showing the money came from a legitimate source and had a legitimate intended use, then this seizure of their money was completely avoidable. Read our popular information on responding to a currency seizure by clicking HERE.

Just look at this story below: Customs Currency Seizure

TUCSON, Ariz. – One week after seizing almost half a million dollars in unreported U.S. currency at a crossing in Nogales, Arizona, port officials apprehended a 25-year-old Mexican national Sunday for failing to declare more than $190,000 when he attempted to cross into Mexico through the Port of Nogales.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting outbound inspections at the Mariposa crossing selected a vehicle driven by Luis Yovanni De La Herran-Zamudio for further inspection and found the unreported money hidden beneath his vehicle’s rear hatch.

Officers processed the vehicle and currency for seizure, and referred De La Herran to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

On Aug. 16, officers at the DeConcini crossing seized $420,000 from a male resident of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.

Easy come, easy go. Let’s be realistic, the currency was more than just “un-reported” as the story says: it was completely concealed (hello, bulk cash smuggling violations). And since the man was arrested, we reasonably guess there were some truly suspicious circumstances beyond just an inadvertent failure to file a currency report.

But now, even if criminal charges were not filed or if they are ultimately found not guilty of a crime they may still face civil forfeiture of the money. They will have to fight for its return administratively, or in the courts. 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.

Read these other articles about customs currency seizures:

Outbound Customs Currency Seizures to Mexico

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on August 25, 2014

This customs currency seizure story, quoted below from U.S. Customs & Border Protection (full story HERE), illustrates the currency reporting requirement for arriving traveler’s and for those exiting the country. Failure to follow the law will result in a customs currency seizure. Customs Currency Seizure Lawyer; Keep Calm and Declare Monetary Instruments Exceeding $10,000 USD

IMPERIAL VALLEY, Calif. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the local ports of entry over the weekend foiled three attempts to smuggle . . . $382,749 in unreported U.S. currency that was bound for Mexico. [ . . . ]

The [ ] incident occurred at about 7 a.m. on Aug. 16, when CBP officers were conducting southbound inspections of travelers heading to Mexico through the Calexico downtown border crossing. Officers targeted a 2001 Honda Accord and referred the driver, a 39-year-old Peruvian citizen, and his vehicle for a more in-depth examination.

While searching the vehicle, officers utilized the port’s imaging system and detected anomalies within the Accord’s rear quarter panels. Following an intensive search, officers extracted a total of 15 packages containing $382,749 in U.S. currency from inside the panels.

If you have a customs currency seizure case and are contemplating what to do next, please use the 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 Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and many other places.

Please read these customs currency seizure articles:

Money Seized at Detroit Airport for Bulk Cash Smuggling, Failure to report

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on August 12, 2014

A lady had money seized at Detroit airport by U.S. Customs & Border Protection (“CBP”) and the story made national news headlines. A lot of people have money seized at Detroit airport, so I’m not sure why this story generated such interest; in fact, many money seizure clients I’ve helped would make for more interesting news stories. I suspect that this story made the news because, I bet someone (herself or her attorney) chose not to file an administrative petition for remission but went the court-route, by filing a CAFRA seized asset claim.

Here is the full AP story (quoted below) which got the story about the money seized at Detroit airport from the Detroit News. This woman has the bad luck to have her story broadcast across country, but hers is not much different than many of the airport customs money seizures that take place everyday in Detroit, Chicago, and elsewhere.

ROMULUS, Mich. (AP) — A 78-year-old Florida woman tried to fly on an international trip from Detroit Metropolitan Airport with almost $41,000 in cash hidden inside her girdle, bra and carry-on bag, federal authorities said. A complaint filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Detroit said the Clearwater woman was trying to board a flight April 2 to the Philippines with her daughter.

She initially said she had $200 in cash but submitted a form declaring she had $1,200, prompting questions. During a search, Customs and Border Protection officers found $8,000 in wallets in her carry-on bag, $4,000 sewn into a cloth pouch and nearly $1,000 in envelopes, according to the complaint.

International Arrivals at DTW

She then told them she had $3,000 in her blouse and $2,000 sewn into the strap of her bra. Officers continued to search and said they found about $21,000 in her girdle. The woman told authorities that she had recently sold her home for $120,000, wired some money to the Philippines and had planned to carry a portion of the money with her. “She stated that she did not wire the proceeds to the Philippines this time because she thought it was safer to carry the money,” according to the complaint.

Federal law requires travelers to declare if they are carrying more than $10,000. The woman hasn’t been charged, but the government in the forfeiture complaint said it wants to keep the money. The Detroit News reported details of the request Friday. Federal court records don’t list a lawyer for the woman. The Associated Press left a message Saturday seeking comment from her at a telephone listing in Florida.

The Detroit news story identifies the woman as Victoria Farren and gets into the details a bit more by explaining that a lot of the money she was carrying was sewn into various articles of clothing like her bra strap, blouse, girdle, and a cloth pouch; these facts takes her case out of the realm of a mere failure to report monetary instruments or currency exceeding $10,000 and into the category of bulk cash smuggling (that is, active efforts to conceal the money), which can make it a lot harder to get the money back.

Have your money seized at Detroit airport?

If you’ve had money seized at Detroit airport, the Ambassador Bridge, or the Detroit-Windsor-Tunnel, you can learn more from our trusted customs money seizure legal guide and can contact us for a free currency seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.