Tag: egypt

Dulles Seizes $130k in Unreported Currency from Travelers

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on July 22, 2023

Summer travel season is well underway, and that means so is CBP’s cash seizure machine is likewise well underway. CBP’s cash seizures, for failure to report cash, structuring, and bulk cash smuggling, all involve people entering leaving the country with more than $10,000, and in one way or another, not filing the FinCEN 105 form at all, or not filing it accurately. The way to report traveling with more than $10,000 is super easy!

Among ports of entry, CBP at Dulles airport in Sterling, Virginia (Washington, DC), is among the most prolific storyteller when it comes to highlighting enforcement activity for these cash reporting violations.

Their most recent story involves people leaving for Yemen, Egypt, Togo, and Ghana. Notably, the stories – except for the Ghana-bound man — are mostly about currency split between travelers, which could be a structuring offense. The Ghana-bound man, however, as shown in the photograph below, probably is going to be said to have smuggled the money (“bulk cash smuggling“). The interesting parts of the story are below:

STERLING, Va. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized nearly $130,000 in unreported currency from four groups of departing international travelers recently at Washington Dulles International Airport.

[ . . . ]

In the most recent case, CBP officers seized $27,560 in unreported currency from a Yemen-bound family on Tuesday. The family reported that they possessed $9,500; however, CBP officers found additional currency split among family members.

CBP officers seized currency on consecutive days last week. On June 20, CBP currency detector dog Fuzz alerted to an Egypt-bound traveler who reported that he possessed $7,000. Officers discovered a total of $34,283 in unreported currency split among four family members. And on June 21, CBP officers seized $15,423 in unreported currency from a Togo-bound couple who reported $9,900 in currency.

On June 11, CBP officers seized $50,210 in unreported currency from a Ghana-bound man who reported that he possessed $45,000.

In each case, CBP officers explained the currency reporting law and allowed the travelers multiple opportunities to truthfully report, both verbally and in writing, the total currency they are carrying.

Officers seized the currency and released the travelers.

CBP is withholding names because none of the travelers were criminally charged.

Has Dulles CBP seized your cash?

If Dulles CBP has seized your cash, we urge you to call us for a consultation before considering doing it yourself. You probably will not be happy with the outcome if you do, based on Dulles’ aggressive posture in most cases. Read our trusted customs money seizure legal guide (or watch the videos) and can contact us for a free currency seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.

Money seized by Customs in Dulles laid out on a table

Customs in Dulles Seizes $33k for Failure to File FinCen 105

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on November 15, 2022

Customs at Dulles airport has seized $33,000 from a person traveling to Egypt because that person failed to report all the money he was leaving the country with. Instead of reporting the full $33,000, he only reported $20,000 verbally (instead of properly reporting it in writing and/or online on a FinCEN 105 form before he was ever asked).

That is, at best, an attempted failure to report (because he had to be asked for the report) and an under-report/mis-report, so a clear violation of 31 USC 5316.

Here’s the story:

STERLING, Va. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers continue to seize unreported currency at Washington Dulles International Airport, after officers seized $33,000 from an Egypt-bound traveler on Tuesday

The traveler, a U.S. citizen male who CBP is not identifying because he was not criminally charged, verbally reported to officers that he possessed $20,000 and completed a U.S. Treasury Department form for his reported amount. During a baggage examination, CBP officers discovered a total of $33,868. Officers seized the currency and released the traveler.

Last month, CBP announced the seizure of $227,539 in unreported currency from four groups of travelers.

There is no limit to how much currency or other monetary instruments travelers may bring to or take out of the United States. However, federal law [31 USC 5316] requires travelers to report all currency of $10,000 or greater to a CBP officer and complete U.S. Treasury Department Report of International Transportation of Currency or Monetary Instruments [FINCEN 105].

CBP offers advice to travelers who may consider violating federal currency reporting laws.

“The most important lesson international travelers can take from these seizures is to truthfully report all currency in their possession to Customs and Border Protection officers when they arrive to or leave the United States. It is less painful to complete a simple form than it is to surrender all their currency for violating U.S. currency reporting laws,” said Kim Der-Yeghiayan, Acting CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C.

Has Dulles CBP seized your cash?

Stacks of US Currency lined up on a long table in front of a CBP sign

Dulles CBP Seizes $46K in Cash from Ghana and Egypt bound travellers

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on May 19, 2022

CBP cash seizures in Dulles are on the rise with increased international travel. In this story, Dulles airport CBP officers seized $20,404 from a man traveling to Ghana and a couple traveling to Egypt with $26,043.

The man traveling to Ghana made an inaccurate report, but he still reported more than $10,000. But, his mistake was 1) his report was not accurate and 2) he did not report the money until he was asked. You need to file the FinCen 105 currency and monetary instrument report (CMIR) before you are asked to do so, otherwise it is obvious you had the intention of not reporting it until you were asked, and so, at minimum, would be responsible for an attempted violation of 31 USC 5316, failure to report cash.

The couple traveling from Dulles airport to Egypt that had their cash seized by CBP are in a tougher situation though. In their case, some of their money was “concealed inside a suitcase liner.” This allows CBP to claim the money was hidden with the intent it would not be found by Customs, which is the classic definition of bulk cash smuggling. Bulk cash smuggling leads to higher penalties, and a higher rate of forfeiture (permanent loss of all or part of the money).

The story follows below….

STERLING, Va. – The best way for travelers to keep their currency when traveling is to truthfully report all of it to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer during inspection. CBP has repeated that advice for years, yet officers still encounter travelers at Washington Dulles International Airport who ignore that simple advice.

For example, CBP officers at Dulles airport recently seized more than $46,000 combined during two separate currency seizures from travelers departing the United States.

In the most recent case on Sunday, CBP officers inspected a U.S. citizen destined to Ghana. The man initially reported, both verbally and in writing, that he possessed $14,000. However, officers discovered a total of $19,904 in his carry-on bag, and an additional $500 in his backpack for a total of $20,404. Officers seized the currency, returned $404 to the man as humanitarian relief, and released him to continue his travel.

Earlier, on April 26, a CBP currency detector dog alerted to a couple’s carry-on bags and the couple, who were destined to Egypt, reported that they possessed $15,000. During an examination, CBP officers discovered additional currency in the woman’s purse and even more concealed inside a suitcase liner for a total of $26,043. CBP officers seized the currency, then returned $1,043 as a humanitarian relief and released the couple to continue their travel.

“We cannot make this point enough, travelers can carry all the currency they want to and from the United States, but U.S. federal law requires them to make a formal report on amounts of $10,000 or greater. It’s that simple,” said Daniel Escobedo, CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C. “The consequences for violating US currency reporting laws are severe – from missing a flight and interrupting vacation plans, to seeing all their currency seized by a Customs and Border Protection officer, and to even facing criminal prosecution for bulk currency smuggling. It’s too easy to just be truthful.”

Has Dulles CBP seized your cash?