Authority of the Customs Service to Seize or Forfeit Property Pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 881

Authority of the Customs Service to Seize or Forfeit Property Pursuant to

21 U.S.C. § 881

The Customs Service does not have independent authority to make seizures or forfeitures pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 881. Accordingly, the Customs Service should seize or forfeit property pursuant to that section only under the supervision of the Drug Enforcement Administration and by direct or derivative designation of the Attorney General. The proceeds of property forfeited after a seizure by the Customs Service must be deposited in the Customs Forfeiture Fund, rather than in the Department of Justice Assets…