Tag Archives for civil asset forfeiture.
A year ago the DEA was ordered to stop seizing passengers’ cash at airports without evidence or charges. But cash seizures never stopped—they’ve just shifted hands. Homeland Security agents are using drug-sniffing dogs to target travelers, confiscating large sums even when no drugs are found and no charges are filed. Here’s what’s happening, and how they’re getting away with it.
The Justice Department has halted the DEA’s airport searches after a report revealed over $3.2 billion in cash was seized from passengers without charges over a decade, citing abuses, improper targeting, and likely constitutional rights violations.
Two comedians are suing over being searched for drugs at the Atlanta airport while boarding their flights. The stops and searches lack probably cause, and are generally based on racial profiling (duh). Over a 9 month period, police stopped 402 passengers at the jet bridge in Atlanta. 68% of those were minorities. Fewer than 1% – just 3 – yielded ‘drug seizures’ like THC gummies and six prescription pills.
A woman traveling through Dallas Love Field had $100,000 seized by Dallas police. She wasn’t charged with any crime, but the money is being taken from her. The Dallas Police Department mistakenly claimed that it’s illegal to carry more than $10,000 cash on a domestic flight without declaring it first.
A New Orleans grandfather and head deacon in his church had his life savings confiscated from him at the Columbus, Ohio airport.
Kermit Warren was laid off from his full time job as a longshoreman during the pandemic, and he decided to turn his scrap metal side business into a full-time business. He needed a bigger truck, and thought he found the one he needed in Ohio. He agreed to an all-cash offer, and brought the $30,000 for the sale. But when he got there he found the truck was too big. So instead of driving home, he bought a one way ticket on American Airlines from Columbus, Ohio to Dallas – Fort Worth to New Orleans.
A year ago a nationwide class action lawsuit was filed against the TSA and Drug Enforcement Agency over seizing the cash of travelers at airports.
The case started when a woman helped her elderly father downsize from a house into an apartment. He didn’t trust banks and kept his life savings of $82,000 squirreled away. She convinced him that she would set up a joint bank account with him, and took the money home with her to Boston – but the government took it all away.
There were no drugs found. There was no evidence of wrongdoing other than carrying the cash itself which is perfectly legal. This was a domestic flight. But did you know you have to declare carrying cash greater than $10,000 when you leave the country – not just when you enter?
Nonetheless the American Airlines passenger won’t get their money back because they had the bad luck of connecting in Charlotte and because the government decided travel to California is presumptively tied to drugs.
Over $2 billion has been seized from travelers at U.S. airports by the federal government between 2000 and 2016. 70% of 30,500 people whose money was seized were never charged with any crime. 25% of money is seized at Washington Dulles airport.
Over the weekend police stole $138,980 from a passenger departing from Boston’s Logan airport.
The man had missed his flight and bought a new ticket. The cash was spotted as he went through the TSA checkpoint. And the cops took it. There’s no insinuation he was involved in any crime. In fact, he was allowed to go on his way – just $140,000 lighter.
Terry Rolin is 79 years old. He grew up skeptical of banks, and kept his life savings of $82,373 squirreled away in his house. His daughter came to visit from Boston and help him downsize into an apartment. They agreed she would set up a joint bank account for him.
Banks were closed for the day. Her flight departing Pittsburgh was early the next morning. So she had to take the cash with her. The cash was spotted at security and seized. No crime was ever charged, but the government decided to keep the money anyway. This is surprisingly common at airports across the country.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
