19 USC 1644 - Ports of entry

View all text of Part VI [§ 1641 - § 1654]

§ 1644a. Ports of entry

(a) Definitions

(b) Secretary of the Treasury

(1) The Secretary of the Treasury may—

(A) designate ports of entry in the United States for civil aircraft arriving in the United States from a place outside the United States and property transported on that aircraft;

(B) detail to ports of entry officers and employees of the United States Customs Service the Secretary considers necessary;

(C) give an officer or employee of the United States Government stationed at a port of entry (with the consent of the head of the department, agency, or instrumentality of the Government with jurisdiction over the officer or employee) duties and powers of officers or employees of the Customs Service;

(D) by regulation, apply to civil air navigation the laws and regulations on carrying out the customs laws, to the extent and under conditions the Secretary considers necessary; and

(E) by regulation, apply to civil aircraft the laws and regulations on entry and clearance of vessels, to the extent and under conditions the Secretary considers necessary.

(2) A person violating a customs regulation prescribed under paragraph (1)(A)–(D) of this subsection or a public health or customs law or regulation made applicable to aircraft by a regulation under paragraph (1)(A)–(D) is liable to the Government for a civil penalty of $5,000 for each violation. An aircraft involved in the violation may be seized and forfeited under the customs laws. The Secretary of the Treasury may remit or mitigate a penalty and forfeiture under this paragraph.

(3) A person violating a regulation made applicable under paragraph (1)(E) of this subsection or an immigration regulation prescribed under paragraph (1)(E) is liable to the Government for a civil penalty of $5,000 for each violation. The Secretary of the Treasury or the Attorney General may remit or mitigate a penalty under this paragraph.

(4) In addition to any other penalty, when a controlled substance described in section 1584 of this title is found on, or to have been unloaded from, an aircraft to which this subsection applies, the owner of, or individual commanding, the aircraft is liable to the Government for the penalties provided in section 1584 of this title for each violation unless the owner or individual, by a preponderance of the evidence, demonstrates that the owner or individual did not know, and by exercising the highest degree of care and diligence, could not have known, that a controlled substance was on the aircraft.

(5) If a violation under this subsection is by the owner or operator of, or individual commanding, the aircraft, the aircraft is subject to a lien for the penalty.

(1) The Secretary of Agriculture by regulation may apply laws and regulations on animal and plant quarantine (including laws and regulations on importing, exporting, transporting, and quarantining animals, plants, animal and plant products, insects, bacterial and fungus cultures, viruses, and serums) to civil air navigation to the extent and under conditions the Secretary considers necessary.

(2) A person violating a law or regulation made applicable under paragraph (1) of this subsection is liable for the penalties provided under that law or regulation.

(d) Remission and mitigation of penalties

(e) Summary seizure of aircraft

(1) An aircraft subject to a lien under this section may be seized summarily by and placed in the custody of a person authorized by regulations of the appropriate Secretary or the Attorney General. A report of the case shall be sent to the Attorney General. The Attorney General shall bring promptly a civil action in rem to enforce the lien or notify the appropriate Secretary that the action will not be brought.

(2) An aircraft seized under this section shall be released from custody when—

(A) the civil penalty or amount not remitted or mitigated is paid;

(B) the aircraft is seized under process of a court in a civil action in rem to enforce the lien;

(D) a bond is deposited with the appropriate Secretary or the Attorney General in an amount and with a surety the appropriate Secretary or the Attorney General prescribes, conditioned on payment of the penalty or amount not remitted or mitigated.

(f) Collection of civil penalties

(g) Authorization of appropriations

(Pub. L. 103–272, § 2, July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1358.)