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If you dont have a claim to the item, you can ignore the customs seizure letter and let the Customs and Border Protection take it. 7 Biggest Mistakes When Moving To Spain As An American. We serve clients throughout California and nationwide facing asset forfeiture. Whether the contents are banned or improperly labeled, there are a lot of ways a package will be seized at customs. Postal Inspection Service is the federal law enforcement, crime prevention, and security arm of the U.S. If some serious crime is committed, the criminal is sent to prison for punishment. OnJune 2, 2022, Ren and Movement Ink partnered with the Institute for Justice (IJ) to file a federal lawsuit in the Northern District of California to hold the officers who baselessly seized and searched his mail accountable for violating his rights. Yet another justification said that the parcel destination is a known drug trafficking area. But if Brooklyn, D.C., Minneapolis, and St. Louis are known drug trafficking areas, then so is nearly every other heavily populated city in America. This team also inspects the attacks and murders against postal employees. These agencies have full authority to take action against criminals. The packages did not reach their intended destinations until June 6, having been held for more than 24 hours by the Postal Inspection Service (the law enforcement arm of the USPS) without reasonable suspicion, probable cause, or a warrant. Note that on USPS internal sites the event is referred to as "Enroute / Processed". So, a USPS packagecanbe seized, but its actually harder to do than with a private carrier. For example, one justification indicated the packages were frequently mailed parcels from the same sender/address. But being a business that frequently ships packages is obviously not reasonable suspicion. Still, the Fourth Amendment protects our papers and effects from unlawful search and seizure. This subreddit is not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Postal Service. IJ produces one-of-a-kind, high-quality research to enhance our effectiveness in court, educate the public, and shape public debate around our key issues. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. 21. Some tests damage the thing under suspicion, and other tests can even render the contents contaminated (ironic, right?). "The Postal Service does not sell stamps below the value . In both California and Federal courts, you have the right to demand a jury trial to resolve your shipping package seizure case. U.S postals law and enforcement agencies, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the USPS Office of Inspector General play a remarkable role in protecting the mailing system. We represent small and large businesses in litigation, as well as business representation. They need time. I received a letter from the USPS criminal investigations service center which indicates an item placed in the mail stream is currently being withheld from delivery as there are . Will I be notified if my package is seized by customs? Some packages are scanned by the United States Postal Service, but its a random process. Seized package by law enforcement from USPS - Legal Answers - Avvo Instead, he and his clients were greeted by a disturbing Alert on the Postal Service website: Seized by Law Enforcement. Ren panicked. The Seizure Notice is prepared by the paralegal after reviewing the file. Call 813-250-0500. Postal Inspection Service has efficient and effective controls to manage the Administrative Non-Mailability Protocol (ANP) program. Secondly, it is crucial on your part to determine if the seizure will be processed by the local, state, or federal government authorities. The lack of information is what suggests the package has been seized. A first-class Forever stamp for a 1-ounce card or letter costs 58 cents and when bargain-basement prices are advertised, that's a red flag. What Happens if You Get Caught Working While on Workers Comp? How long does it take to get a seizure letter from customs? Specifically, of 265 evidence bags we reviewed, the weight of the drugs in five bags did not match the weights in the tracking system. Rather, they request consent from mailers or addressees to open detained packages. Visit our attorney directory to find a lawyer near you who can help. Our son had his money confiscated on a charge that was not true. Jacek was able to help with his criminal case as well as getting his money back that was taken from him without any cause from the police. In the context of seized shipping packages, the term seizure refers to the act of physical possession of a shipped item or the transfer of control or custody from the package owner to the state or federal government. Postal Service has been silently logging and tracking mail for more than a decade, legally, but it only catalogs the outsides of envelopes. So, if you order raw food products, and they arent properly labeled, your food might get seized. Instead, youll see that its stuck at some point in the shipping process with no updates. Ill get into the specifics in a bit, but the idea is that law enforcement has the power to take packages. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated , -Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Typical packages that encounter being seized during shipping by the law enforcement agencies, include: . When they are satisfied with the services, they release the mail, otherwise punishing the criminals. A package could have become stuck in transit because it was stopped at a border crossing, in a vehicle accident, or due to other reasons. If your package was seized, a state or federal law enforcement officer could knock on the door. Sign up to receive IJ's biweekly digital magazine, Liberty & Law, along with breaking updates about our fight to protect the rights of all Americans. There is no requirement to make a statement. Read about IJs most important work with stories directly from the people in the trenches. But that made no sense, because the shipping label clearly stated that the parcels originated from Ren and Movement Ink in Oakland. Postal Service has been silently logging and tracking mail for more than a decade, legally, but it only catalogs the outsides of envelopes. The lawsuit also argues that the USPS officials violated Rens clearly established First Amendment rights to the extent that they retaliated against him for his political speech. Also, being federal government employees, U.S. postal workers require a warrant based on probable cause in order to search a package for drugs. In addition, packages containing marijuana emit a strong odor and can be easily detected [redacted]. While there is no clear way to challenge a K-9's sniff, the police expect you to take it at face value. You requested that the item be returned to sender or. reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and They can still do so with a proper warrant. Postal Inspection Service Handling of Suspected Marijuana Packages. Will Usps Tracking Says Seized By Law Enforcement? What to Do When Your Packages are Seized Before They Arrive at Your Sometimes the employees progress is not good. They lost their control and command. the trade dress of USPS packaging, the Letter Carrier Uniform and the Postal Truck and the following marks are . If there is probable cause to believe that a letter or package contains something that is in violation of federal law, then the Postal Inspectors can request a search warrant to open the piece of mail. Highlights of news outlets coverage of IJs work. In this case, authorities can seize package contents because they believe the contents are pertinent to an investigation or prosecution. The employee and postal inspectors are very conscious in this regard. As a private carrier, FedEx is not nearly as heavily regulated or restricted as USPS. Every package should be opened to verify information. How To Tell If A Package Is Seized? (Quick Check) Marijuana is the most commonly-seized drug, and a study reported that in just 2014, 39,301 pounds of marijuana were seized by inspectors. This one is also pretty easy to understand. There have been instances where suspicion about the package contents have caused immediate, unwarranted search of a shipping package. While the 2020 fiscal year loss was $9.2 billion and the 2021 loss was only $4.9 billion, taxpayers continue to subsidize the country's mail delivery service. His congressional representative, Barbara Lee, submitted an official inquiry to USPS, expressing concerns over the seizures. The investigative team of your attorney will work to identify all the relevant witnesses, required shipping documentation, and other evidence to present a solid representation of your case. PDF U.S. POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION - Forfeiture Before I could change my address after having had arrived in california a letter about a criminal investigation on the fake name reached my old address in north Carolina. If the K-9 alerts the law enforcement or police officers by sensing the smell of the suspicious contents inside, the police will put it aside and inspect it manually. No, the specific meaning of this term is that law enforcement has taken custody of the package. Adhering to the applicable laws and regulations can diminish the chance of future seizure or detention of goods by Customs. The final justification for the seizures said they were mailedfroma known drug source area, which, again, could apply to any major city (and was apparently not even based on an accurate assessment of where the packages originated). This subsidy, at a time when the . The event will display USPS in possession of item if the item was scanned in the office. Implement a periodic review process to ensure evidence bags contain proper dates and initials; and ensure drug weight is accurately recorded in the tracking system. How To Fix Undercooked Potatoes In Potato Salad? The shipping packages undergo necessary checking procedures and must comply with the state and federal government import rules and regulations,which can be both confusing and complicated. In fact, the U.S. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. A look at every case we have filed, past and present. Some of Rens longstanding clients dropped him, and the organizers backed out of plans for future recurring apparel orders. Postal Service has its own special squad of postal inspectors and processes for checking packages. IJs tax ID number is 52-1744337. Seizures of Cash by U.S. Postal Inspectors - Sammis Law Firm A seizure of a shipping package may be due to any of the following reasons: When goods or packages are shipped from any overseas country to the United States, they are referred to as being imported." IJ is dedicated to fighting judge-made rules that make it extremely difficult to hold government officials and their employers accountable for violating the Constitution. When [redacted] personnel are not adhering to Registered Mail requirements, it could contribute to the loss or theft of packages suspected of containing illicit drugs. Suppose a drug is present in packages and has some smell that suspects them; something is wrong. That is especially true given that the most cursory investigation would have confirmed that the packages were not mailed from Eureka, but that they came from Movement Ink in Oakland. The FBI has the ability to legally track suspects using the information on the outside -- but not the contents -- of any letter sent by USPS. Often times a package disappearing IS your drugs disappearing, but a small amount of marijuana is unlikely to lead to criminal charges being brought against you. I have a package sent through USPS that said seized by law enforcement Seized package by law enforcement from USPS I have a friend in California that sends me marijuana to Tennessee and have been for 3 years problem free. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Contact us. Also, U.S. After Ren contacted his Congresswoman and went to the press, the real story came out. However, never meet or speak to the police offer or investigator alone for interrogation unless you are with your attorney. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". How To Turn On Do Not Disturb On Discord? If your package was shipped with USPS and seized, it will be indicated on the tracking data. The Postal Service's tracking system shows the scans to the sender and recipient. But,Cuban cigars are illegal, and you are not allowed to ship them within the borders of the U.S. When Inspection Service personnel do not handle evidence in accordance with policy, there is potential risk of loss and theft of illicit drugs. Even if you arent under investigation, they could conceivably find a reason to seize your package.