Tag: civil seizure

How long does it take Customs to decide a petition for a currency/monetary instrument seizure?

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on October 9, 2013 with 13 Comments

My clients who have had currency seized from Customs often ask me how long it takes to get the money back, or in other words, how long customs has to respond to a petition? The answer depends on a lot of factors. After the currency/monetary instruments are seized
Customs must issue a notice of seizure, and usually they must issue it within within 60 days. ((19 CFR Part 162)) If you elect to file a petition to try and have them money returned, usually the longest part of the process is waiting for Customs to make a decision on the petition.

That’s because Customs has no time limit or deadline for deciding a petition. This is hard for anyone to understand because almost every aspect of our lives has some sort of time limit on it…. but not so for Customs. It is possible that it could take forever to make their decision; and as ridiculous as that sounds, it’s basically true. ((The exact limits of how long Customs may take to make a decision are discussed by the U.S. Supreme Court in U.S. v. Von Neumann, 474 US 242 (1986), and the government indicated that the Administrative Procedures Act might provide a remedy.))

When Customs revised their regulations, during the notice and comment period someone commented that Customs should be required to make their decision on a petition in 120 days. Here is the exchange that sets forth Customs policy ((65 FR 53565, 68, dated 9/5/2007)):

Comment

One commenter indicates that the regulations should be amended in a manner to require Customs to act on petitions within 120 days. The commenter states that when a petition is received, not much else has to be done by Customs and there is no basis for continued delays.

Customs Response

Customs does not agree. When a petition is received, an investigation often must be undertaken in order to determine the veracity of statements made in that petition. This can be a time consuming process, particularly if information from foreign sources must be obtained. Additionally, there are instances when a claimant to seized property or a charged party asks that Customs delay a decision on a petition for relief. If Customs is required to adhere to a rigid decision schedule, it could work to the disadvantage of such a party. While Customs makes every effort to decide petitions for relief as expeditiously as possible, Customs sees no reason to amend the regulations to place a strict time frame on the processing of petitions.

As stated above, there is no time limit on their deciding a petition because Customs conducts their own investigation and review of the incident. For example, the paralegal specialist assigned to the case must determine who has authority to make the decision (it varies based on the property value), analyze the facts presented in the petition against those presented by the seizing officer, thoroughly review the law with respect to the violation, and determine if FP&F has all the necessary information to render a decision, and if not, refer to another source to get that information. The petition can then be referred to the seizing officer, and/or the office of investigations, other agencies, and other technical and legal experts. This is sometimes called by CBP a “technical review” by Homeland Security Investigations. Sometimes HSI will ask to interview you (bad idea, here’s why).

On top of that, there are the normal delays inherent in the process. There may be a number of petitions ahead of yours; or, the paralegal, investigators, or agents may be on leave, sick or taking a vacation, and of course something more urgent might intervene (for example, a change in priorities due to a government shutdown). All of these things can effect how long it takes your petition to be decided. Some ports, on average, take longer than others. In our experience, Detroit processes its cases much faster than New York or Chicago.

The one thing that is for certain is that hiring an experienced attorney to handle you currency/monetary instrument seizure case is important. An experienced attorney can make sure that Customs has all the evidence they need, and everything is presented to Customs in the appropriate fashion. We often find that when we are hired, Customs issues the notice of seizure immediately which can have a great impact on how quickly the petition is prepared, filed and decided by Customs.

If you have had your currency/monetary instruments seized, do not decide how to respond to the notice of seizure without first consulting an attorney. If a petition is appropriate, my office prepares a detailed legal memorandum that contains factual narrative with my client’s side of the story, what led to the seizure, a review of the relevant law, regulations and Custom’s own guidelines concerning the seizure. When the facts allow for it, my Petition will always include a strong argument for return of the money in full, or even when there is a valid basis for the currency seizure, a strong argument for the money to be returned upon payment of a fine in the smallest amount of money possible, rather than forfeiture of all your money. At times, Customs violation of the law or their own policies may permit us to make technical arguments that cancel the seizure entirely.

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 will be happy to answer any questions you have and explain the process to you. 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:

$296,010 Customs Currency Seizure

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on September 19, 2013

From the CBP news releases:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Imperial Valley ports of entry over the weekend intercepted [ . . . ] $296,010 in undeclared currency . . . .

[ . . . ]

[On September 6, 2013], at about 5:00 p.m., CBP officers were conducting southbound inspections of travelers heading to Mexico through the Andrade port of entry. Officers targeted a 2001 Chrysler Town and Country minivan and referred the 56-year-old driver and his passenger, a 54-year-old female, both Mexican citizens, for further examination.

Inside the vehicle, CBP officers discovered a large box among several other household items. The box was emptied during the inspection, revealing bundles of undeclared currency totaling $296,010.

[ . . . ]

“CBP officers at the Imperial Valley ports of entry have proven to be exceptionally skilled at discovering unconventional concealment methods and these seizures are illustrative of those skills,” said Pete Flores, Director of Operations for the San Diego Field Office.

All subjects were turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) agents for further processing and were transported to the Imperial County Jail to await arraignment.

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.

If you have money seized and receive a notice of seizure, do not decide how to respond to a CAFRA Notice without first consulting an attorney. Any mistake or error in judgment you make can cost you dearly.The Petition process is a legal process. The petition itself is and should always be a legal document, no different than in any other legal proceeding, that contains detailed factual narrative, what led to the seizure, a review of the relevant law, regulations and Custom’s own guidelines concerning the criteria for remission. When the facts allow for it, our Petition will always include a strong argument for return of the money in full, or even when there is a valid basis for the currency seizure, a strong argument for the money to be returned upon payment of a fine in the smallest amount of money possible, rather than forfeiture of all your money.

Baltimore CBP Seizes $44K in Unreported Currency

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on August 26, 2013

CBP in Baltimore has made another news release about currency seizures for currency reporting requirement violations conducted at their port. This time we have some visual support for the story:

Baltimore — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) seized $44,783 yesterday from a Nigerian man for violating federal currency reporting regulations.

The passenger, who arrived to BWI from London, United Kingdom and destined for Washington, D.C., repeatedly declared possessing only $5,000. While examining the passenger’s luggage, CBP officers discovered multiple envelopes wrapped in clothing that contained U.S. and foreign currency totaling the equivalent of $45,283.

There is no limit to how much currency travelers can import or export; however federal law requires travelers to report amounts exceeding $10,000 in U.S. dollars or equivalent foreign currency.

CBP officers seized $44,783 and returned $500 in U.S. currency to the passenger for humanitarian relief. CBP officers also advised the traveler how to petition for the return of his seized currency.

“Travelers who refuse to comply with federal currency reporting requirements run the risk of having their currency seized, and may potentially face criminal charges,” said Susan Thomas, Acting CBP Port Director for the Port of Baltimore. “The traveler was given multiple opportunities to truthfully declare his currency. The easiest way to hold on to your money is to report it.”

In addition to currency interdiction, CBP routinely conducts inspection operations on arriving and departing international flights and intercepts narcotics, weapons, prohibited agriculture products and other illicit items.

So many times I read this news releases and just wonder what people are thinking when they declare having a substantial amount of money, but not enough to put them over the reporting requirement. Like here the guy declares $5,000, but really he’s carrying over $45,000. Declaring a lesser amount than you are actually transporting does not mitigate the penalty for a seizure nor does it prevent Customs from seizing your money. In certain circumstances, Customs can allow for human error and remit a seizure on site when the amount reported is not far off from what is actually being transported; but there’s no way a person can think that by reporting $5,000 when you’re actually carrying $40,000 more is going to give you any advantages. And by reporting $5,000, it seems highly likely that Customs is going to want to verify what you are telling them by taking you to a secondary inspection, going through your baggage, and counting what they find.

If you have had currency seized and are contemplating what to do next, please make use of the other information I make available on this website or call my office at (734) 855-4999 or e-mail us through ourcontact page. We are able to assist with currency seizures around the country, including Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and many other places, and not just locally in Detroit.

CBP Seizes $34,685 in Unreported Currency in Puerto Rico

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on August 22, 2013 with 1 Comment

In another interesting news release, CBP reports on a monetary instrument/currency seizure that occured in Puerto Rico:

San Juan, Puerto Rico — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized $34,685 in unreported currency last Thursday from a passenger arriving at the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport from Venezuela.

Tetsuro Nakada, 64, of Florida, failed to accurately declare having in his possession $15,335 and seven (7) checks totaling $19,350.

Nakada provided incorrect information concerning the amount of money he was carrying to federal agents. CBP officers found an envelope with $12,000, another envelope inside a book with $3,335, and a small plastic bag with 7 checks totaling $19,350.

The currency was seized under bulk cash smuggling laws. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI ) special agents arrested Nakada and will proceed with an investigation.

“The unreported cash that we seize has an impact on criminal organizations by making it more difficult for them to further their illicit activities,” said Juan Hurtado, San Juan Area port director. “CBP officers remain vigilant generating important enforcement activity regularly.”

Individuals are permitted to carry any amount of currency or monetary instruments into or out of the United States. However, if the quantity is $10,000 or higher, they must formally report the currency to CBP. Failure to report may result in seizure of the currency and/or arrest.

It’s kind of reverse engineer the facts and figure out what went wrong here. Certainly, any misreport of the amount of monetary instruments, including cash and foreign currencies, is the most classic and simplest type of violation of the currency reporting requirements. In addition to a failure to report the correct amount of money (by how much we are not told), there is potentially a violation of a bulk cash smuggling laws for “concealing” the money in the envelope and in a book. Yes, that’s really as complicated as it needs to get in terms of concealment for the government to allege bulk cash smuggling; but, as I have previously discussed in another article about bulk cash smuggling, bulk cash smuggling must also show concealment with the intent to evade the reporting requirement.

However, as we discussed in another article on what monetary instruments need to be reported, not all types of checks are subject to the monetary instrument reporting requirement. I think the risk of carrying checks, even when not in bearer form could potentially be too risky to advise any client to do because the likely result will be an allegation of a structuring violation if you are trying to use use the checks to defeat the reporting requirement.

If you have had currency seized and are contemplating what to do next, please make use of the other information I make available on this website or call my office at (734) 855-4999 or e-mail us through our contact page. We are able to assist with currency seizures around the country, including Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and many other places, and not just locally in Detroit.

CBP in Southern Arizona Seizes $100K In Cash

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on August 20, 2013

The currency reporting requirements were designed, in part, to give the government additional abilities to catch people involved in money laundering. Wikipedia, in its article on money laundering, explains that:

Money laundering is the process of concealing the source of large amounts of money that have been gained through illegitimate means. Money evidently gained through crime is “dirty” money, and money that has been “laundered” to appear as if it came from a legitimate source is “clean” money. Money can be laundered by many methods, which vary in complexity and sophistication.

Therefore, it is with great irony that I share with you the following news release from Customs involving a currency seizure resulting from an effort to smuggle money out of the United States and into Mexico by concealing it in a box of laundry detergent.

Nogales, Ariz. —A southern California woman was arrested Saturday for attempting to smuggle $100,000 in unreported U.S. currency into Mexico through the Dennis DeConcini Port.

Customs and Border Protection officers conducting outbound inspections selected a Honda sedan, driven by Blanca Gabriela Medina, 29, of El Monte, Calif., for further inspection. When officers searched the vehicle, they located 10 packages of U.S. currency hidden in a box of laundry detergent. The vehicle and cash were processed for seizure. Medina was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

And the best part of all, the picture:

If you have had currency seized and are contemplating what to do next, please make use of the other information I make available on this website or call my office at (734) 855-4999 or e-mail us through our contact page. We are able to assist with currency seizures around the country, including Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and many other places, and not just locally in Detroit.

CBP Currency Seizures in Philadelphia for Violations of the Currency Reporting Regulations

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on August 15, 2013

CBP in Philadelphia has really stepped up their news releases concerning currency seizures. Recently, there is a new release which I quote in part below. The Port in Philadelphia always gives us the most detail in the currency seizures, making it ripe for my commentary. Thus, I have put my own emphasis in bold lettering and my comments in [brackets].

A U.S. woman learned a very difficult lesson Sunday at Philadelphia International Airport after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized $39,570 that she failed to truthfully report to officers.

The woman, who was not criminally charged [though she could have been, as I write about here], arrived from Portugal with a Portuguese friend. Both women were referred to a secondary examination after both reported possessing more than $10,000 in currency [note that though both reported over $10,000, the report still must be accurate] – the U.S. woman claimed $30,620; the Portuguese woman $20,700. During the secondary examination, CBP officers learned that $40,570 of the combined $51,320 belonged to the U.S. woman [which is a structuring violation if the money was given to her travelling companion to avoid the reporting requirement]. CBP released $1,000 to the U.S. woman for humanitarian purposes and seized the remaining $39,570. Officers advised her how to petition for the seized currency. [And she no doubt is waiting for notice of seizure and election of proceedings form. Read about how to respond to a currency seizure here.]

CBP officers also assessed a $500 mitigated currency reporting penalty to the Portuguese woman. It was one of six currency reporting penalties for a combined $3,500 in penalties that CBP officers assessed to travelers in the two-week period from July 21 to August 4.

There is no limit to how much currency that travelers can bring into, or take out of the United States. Travelers are required to formally report amounts of $10,000 or more in U.S. dollars, equivalent foreign currency, or other monetary instruments.

“CBP derives no great pleasure from seizing travelers’ currency. [Institutionally, perhaps, but the occasional seizing agent no doubt takes some pride in their accomplishments.] However, there are consequences for failing to comply with U.S. laws,” said Allan Martocci, CBP port director for the Area Port of Philadelphia. “We hope that word of these penalties will compel these and other travelers to be honest with us and to truthfully declare what they are bringing to the U.S.”

The remaining five currency reporting penalties included:

July 29, CBP officers assessed a $500 penalty to a 37-year-old Nigerian man who reported $8,500, but officers discovered that he possessed $11,400.
July 27, CBP officers assessed a $500 penalty to a 76-year-old Nigerian man who reported $5,000, but officers discovered that he possessed $11,622.
July 26, CBP officers assessed a $500 penalty to a 53-year-old Italian man who reported $7,000 in U.S. dollars, 250 Euros and 500 British pounds. Officers discovered that the man possessed $10,071 in U.S. dollars, 1,150 Euros and 1,500 British pounds, equivalent to $13,213 in U.S. dollars.
July 23, CBP officers assessed a $1,000 penalty to a 68-year-old Italian man who officers found to have structured $24,644 between himself, his brother and his girlfriend to evade reporting requirements for possessing more than $10,000.
July 21, CBP officers assessed a $500 penalty to a 38-year-old Ghanaian woman who reported $9,000, but officers discovered that she possessed $11,870.
Privacy laws prohibit CBP from releasing their names as no subjects were criminally charged.

CBP routinely conducts inspection operations on arriving and departing international passengers and cargo, and searches for terrorist weapons, illicit narcotics, unreported currency, counterfeit merchandise, and prohibited agriculture and other products.

If you have considered your options and decide in you want to hire an lawyer, or have other questions, please contact us by calling (734) 855-4999 or by clicking here – it’s almost never too late to get a lawyer involved. We will be happy to answer any questions you have and explain the process to you.

If you have other questions about currency seizures by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, please read these other articles:

$50,000 Currency Seizure at Brownsville Port

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on August 13, 2013

We republish below a recent money seizure by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) which was effected in Brownsville, as follows:

On June 13, 2013, CBP officers working outbound enforcement operations at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge came in contact with a 1996 Ford Crown Victoria as it attempted to exit the United States and enter Mexico. The driver, a 24 year-old United States citizen from Brownsville, Texas was referred to secondary for further inspection. In secondary, a search of the Crown Victoria resulted in the discovery of six packages of bulk U.S. currency [$50,000] hidden within the vehicle.

CBP officers seized the currency; the driver has been transferred into the custody of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents for further investigation.

“Persistence and dedication in outbound enforcement inspections are critical to our efforts of keeping undeclared currency form being exported without meeting proper reporting requirements. I commend our CBP officers for an outstanding seizure and arrest in this alleged bulk currency smuggling case,” said Michael Freeman, CBP Port Director, Brownsville.

Little detail is given, but as with we could give the man the benefit of the doubt and presume the legitimate source is the proceeds of a life insurance policy of a beloved family member; and the intended use, perhaps he was paying cash for a nice place in the American ex-pat community of Merida. That’s just my guess, and yes, I have handled stranger cases. Maye he was just hiding the money (also called smuggling) to protect it from imagined theieves as he crosses the border into Mexico.

If we assume he proves these two things, then this situation is regrettable for him and completely avoidable. But now, even if criminal charges are ultimately not filed or if he is ultimately found not guilty of a crime, he will still face civil forfeiture of the money and, if he wants it back, will have to fight for its return administratively, or in the courts.

That brings me to the next point: If you have had currency seized from Customs, do not go it alone. Get the advice of an attorney who knows what he is doing. If you do not, you might only make the situation worse by handling it on your own or hiring a lawyer who doesn’t regularly handle these cases.

If you have other questions about currency seizures by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, please read these other articles:

If you have considered your options and decide in you want to hire an lawyer, or have other questions, please contact us by clicking here – it’s almost never too late to get a lawyer involved. We will be happy to answer any questions you have and explain the process to you.

Philly CBP Provides On-Site Mitigatation for Reporting Violation after Currency Seizure

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on July 30, 2013

Coming out of the Philadelphia airport, CBP has another news release dealing this time with a currency seizure based on a structuring violation and failure to report by U.S. Customs and Border Protection :

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at Philadelphia International Airport assessed a $1,000 penalty to an Italian citizen Tuesday for violating federal currency reporting requirements. During a secondary inspection, the man, who arrived from Italy, reported possessing $11,700. It was later discovered that the man had given money to two co-travelers in order to evade currency reporting requirements, an illegal practice known as currency structuring. In total the cash added up to $24,644. CBP officers seized the money, issued the man a $1,000 penalty, and then returned the remaining cash back to the man.

[ . . . ]

“Customs and Border Protection officers offer travelers multiple opportunities to truthfully report their currency, but those who refuse to comply with federal currency reporting requirements face severe consequences, such as hefty penalties, having their currency seized, or potential criminal charges,” said Allan Martocci, port director for the Area Port of Philadelphia. “The easiest way to keep your currency is to truthfully report it.”

International travelers who arrive or depart the United States in possession of more than $10,000 or equivalent foreign currency are required to report all currency to CBP officers and complete a Treasury Department Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) form.

So Customs’ determined that man was in transporting $24,644, but he had given $12,944 to two people with whom he was traveling. As explained in the article linked above, it is illegal to structuring a transaction to avoid filing the currency reporting requirement. From the facts as narrated, it almost looks as though the man did voluntarily report traveling with more than $10,000 ($11,700), but mis-reported the amount by failing to disclose the remaining $12,994 that his “co-travelers” were carrying. I think that the argument could be made that there was no structuring violation if he did file the report; just a violation to accurately report the amount of money that was being transported. That’s a tricky, technical argument to make, though. Never put yourself in that situation.

On the bright side for this individual, he was able to get his money back on the scene – he did not have to go through the petition process, and its inherent delays, to get the seized money back. As far as I am aware, on-scene mitigation is only available to those persons who are transporting less than $25,000, and who mis-report an amount that is 5% or less in variance with the actual amount being transported. I am not sure how this case qualified for on-scene mitigation because the mis-report was greater than 5%, but this gentleman should consider himself lucky.

If you have had currency seized from Customs do not try to respond yourself but hire our firm, because we know what we are doing and have successfully handled many cases like yours. If you have questions, please give us a call at (734) 855-4999.

Man’s Money Seized by Customs Trying to Smuggle Out of U.S.

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on July 17, 2013

According to a recent news release, Customs intercepted an alleged outbound currency smuggling attempt in Arizona:

A local man was arrested yesterday for attempting to smuggle $50,000 in unreported U.S. currency into Mexico through the Port of Nogales.

Customs and Border Protection officers and Border Patrol agents conducting outbound inspections at the Dennis DeConcini Port referred Rene Becerra-Portillo Jr., 22, of Rio Rico, Ariz., for further questioning. During the subsequent search of the man who was wearing a uniform from a local fast food restaurant and carrying a bag and drink, $50,000 of unreported currency was found inside the bag. The cash was processed for seizure. Becerra was referred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

The seized money was in a fast food bag, and he was wearing a uniform for a fast food joint. The variety of different means smugglers use always impresses me.

If you have money seized and receive a notice of seizure, do not decide how to respond to a CAFRA Notice without first consulting an attorney. Any mistake or error in judgment you make can cost you dearly. The Petition process is a legal process. The petition itself is and should always be a legal document, no different than in any other legal proceeding, that contains detailed factual narrative, what led to the seizure, a review of the relevant law, regulations and Custom’s own guidelines concerning the criteria for remission. When the facts allow for it, our Petition will always include a strong argument for return of the money in full, or even when there is a valid basis for the currency seizure, a strong argument for the money to be returned upon payment of a fine in the smallest amount of money possible, rather than forfeiture of all your money.

If you have had currency seized and are contemplating what to do next, please make use of the other information I make available on this website or call my office at (734) 855-4999 or e-mail us through our contact page. We are able to assist with currency seizures around the country, including Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and many other places, and not just locally in Detroit.

Read about responding to a customs currency seizure.

$25K Currency Seizure at Philadelphia International Airport

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on July 10, 2013

This is the second such story from Philadephia about Russian’s and the Philadelphia airport, the first one I commented on here. CBP releases this news with my emphasis in bold:

Philadelphia – Failing to truthfully declare items to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and agriculture specialists at Philadelphia International Airport proved to be expensive lessons for several travelers during a busy weekend.

CBP officers seized $25,720 from a Russian citizen Friday, and assessed a mitigated $1,000 penalty to a U.S. citizen Sunday who each violated federal currency reporting requirements, [ . . . . ]

“The events of this weekend represent just a simple snapshot into what U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees do at our nation’s 330 ports of entry every day to ensure respect for established U.S. laws, and to protect our citizens, our economy and our nation,” said Paul Nardella, acting CBP port director for the area port of Philadelphia. “The one thing that we ask is for travelers be honest with us and truthfully declare what they are bringing to the U.S.”

The Russian man first reported that he possessed $9,000 during a routine inspection Friday. He then amended that amount to $19,000 after CBP officers advised him that currency reporting requirement also covered personal and travelers checks. CBP officers then discovered a total of $27,448 during a baggage examination. The currency consisted of $17,220 in U.S. dollars, $250 in Australian dollars (equivalent to $228 USD) and a $10,000 personal check. CBP officers seized $15,720 in U.S. dollars and the check, and released the remainder to the traveler for humanitarian purposes. Officers also advised the traveler the process for petitioning for his currency, and then released him to continue his visit.

CBP officers assessed the mitigated $1,000 penalty Sunday after they discovered $17,579.43 in U.S. dollars and equivalent foreign currency during a baggage inspection. The U.S. man initially reported $4,000 in U.S. dollars and $4000 in Euros.

There is no limit to how much currency that travelers can bring into, or take out of the United States. However, travelers are required to report amounts of $10,000 or more in U.S. dollars, equivalent foreign currency, or other monetary instruments.

[ . . . ]

CBP routinely conducts inspection operations on arriving and departing international passengers and cargo, and searches for terrorist weapons, illicit narcotics, unreported currency, counterfeit merchandise, and prohibited agriculture and other products.

Do not decide how to respond to a CAFRA Notice without first consulting an attorney. Any mistake or error in judgment you make can cost you dearly. The Petition process is a legal process. The petition itself is and should always be a legal document, no different than in any other legal proceeding, that contains detailed factual narrative, what led to the seizure, a review of the relevant law, regulations and Custom’s own guidelines concerning the criteria for remission. When the facts allow for it, our Petition will always include a strong argument for return of the money in full, or even when there is a valid basis for the currency seizure, a strong argument for the money to be returned upon payment of a fine in the smallest amount of money possible, rather than forfeiture of all your money.

If you have had currency seized and are contemplating what to do next, please make use of the other information I make available on this website or call my office at (734) 855-4999 or e-mail us through our contact page. We are able to assist with currency seizures around the country, including Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and many other places, and not just locally in Detroit.

Read about responding to a customs currency seizure.