United States v. Ramsey

Customs officials, acting with “reasonable cause to suspect” a violation of customs laws, opened for inspection incoming international letter-class mail without first obtaining a search warrant. A divided Court of Appeals for the District of Co*608lumbia Circuit held, contrary to every other Court of Appeals which has considered the matter,1 that the Fourth Amendment forbade the opening of such mail without probable cause and a search warrant. 176 U. S. App. D. C. 67, 538 F. 2d 415. We granted the Government’s petition for certiorari to resolve this Circuit conflict. 429 U. S. 815. We now reverse.