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Dallas Love Field Airport Currency Seizures

If you bring a large amount of U.S. Currency to the Dallas Love Field Airport, it might be seized by federal agents or local law enforcement officers.

Civil asset forfeiture laws at the state and federal level allow for the seizure of cash if “probable cause” shows it was associated with the drug trade or money laundering. The probable cause standard is relatively low.

Even at trial in a civil asset forfeiture case, the standard is a “preponderance of the evidence” instead of the higher standard required in criminal prosecutions of “proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Nevertheless, an attorney experienced in civil asset forfeiture cases, especially airport currency seizures, can help you file a verified claim for court action to contest the legality of the seizure.

An attorney can help you gathering the evidence necessary to show that the seizure was illegal.

Attorney for Cash Seizures at Love Field Airport in Dallas, TX

If your money was seized at the Dallas Love Field Airport, then call David Sloane. He can help you bypass the administrative forfeiture proceedings and go directly to judicial proceedings. By filing a verified claim soon after the seizure, you can speed up the process considerably.

David Sloane understands the rules for both state and federal civil asset forfeiture proceedings. Whether you were headed for an international or domestic flight, he can help.

David Sloane also represents clients after a seizure of money for forfeiture at the DFW airport.

Call (817) 810-0088 to discuss the case.

Probable Cause to Seize Money at the Airport in Dallas, TX

When the traveler enters a security checkpoint before bordering a flight, screeners with Transportation Security Administration (TSA) often detect large amounts of U.S. Currency. Likewise, bulk cash might be discovered in checked luggage.

If the money catches the attention of TSA screeners, they might provide a secret tip to a law enforcement officer at the Love Field Airport. Law enforcement officers that seize cash at Dallas Love Field Airport might belong to any of the following agencies:

  • Dallas Police Department (DPD);
  • Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); or
  • Customs and Border Protection (CPB),

The law enforcement officer might approach the traveler during a so-called “consensual encounter.” The encounter is often described as being “consensual” because otherwise the detention, interrogation, search and seizure might be deemed unreasonable under the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Any evidence gathers in violation of the Fourth Amendment, must be excluded from consideration which often forces the return of the money to the traveler. Alternatively, the traveler might show that the money came from a legitimate source or was intended for a legitimate purpose.

How Much Money Can you Bring on the Flight?

Keep in mind that on a domestic flight, there is no legal limit to the amount of money you can carry on a flight. But for international flights, you must declare carrying $10,000 or more into or out of the country on a FinCEN form 105.

On international flights, currency seizures at the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) Airport are common.

Regardless of whether your money was seized on a domestic or international flight, an experienced attorney can help you file a claim to demand that the money is returned to you.

Interrogation at the Airport in Cash Seizure Cases

During an airport investigation, the law enforcement officers might detain the traveler before beginning to ask questions. Although the traveler is under no obligation to answer the questions, most people start talking.

The investigating officer might ask the traveler the following types of questions:

  • Where are you going?
  • What is the purpose of the trip?
  • When did you purchase the ticket?
  • Why did you book the flight at the last minute?
  • Are you carrying any U.S. Currency or money orders?
  • Where did the money come from?
  • Why do you need that much money for your trip?
  • Can I look through your phone?
  • Can I search your carry on luggage or checked baggage?

Drug carriers often don't bring clothes in their check luggage. Instead, it might be filled with filler including sheets or towels. The money is often concealed in an unusual manner or with rubber bands. Rarely did the money come out of the traveler's bank account.

The law enforcement officer might ask for permission to search the checked baggage or carry on luggage. Sometimes, the law enforcement officer will use a drug dog for the search. If the drug dog makes an alert, the law enforcement officer might conclude that the money was used in the drug trade.

The law enforcement officers will often claim that the traveler was extremely nervous or gave inconsistent answers.

A Receipt for U.S. Currency Seized for Civil Asset Forfeiture

If the investigating officer develops probable cause, then they might seize the U.S. Currency and leave the traveler with a receipt that says “undisclosed amount” of case. After the seizure, it might take up to 60 days for the “notice of seizure” to arrive in the mail.

An attorney can help you file a verified claim for court action. That claim triggers a 90 day deadline for the U.S. Attorney's Office and an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) to either return the money or file a complaint for forfeiture in the U.S. District Court.

If your money was seized at an airport in Texas, then contact attorney David Sloan. During the free consultation, you can find out more about civil asset forfeiture laws and the best ways to get the money back.

Call (817) 810-0088.

This article was last updated on Saturday, October 10, 2020.

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