Federal · Title 19 — Customs Duties

19 U.S.C. § 1464: Penalties in connection with sealed vessels and vehicles 1 1 See Codification note below.

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

A vessel or vehicle master who fails to promptly deliver cargo to customs, violates Treasury regulations, unloads cargo elsewhere, or disposes of sealed merchandise commits a felony punishable by up to $1,000 fine and/or five years imprisonment.

Read the full statutory text
If the master of such 1 vessel or the person in charge of any such vehicle fails to proceed with reasonable promptness to the port of destination and to deliver such vessel or vehicle to the proper officers of the customs, or fails to proceed in accordance with such regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury, or unlades such merchandise or any part thereof at other than such port of destination, or disposes of any such merchandise by sale or otherwise, he shall be guilty of a felony and upon conviction thereof shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both; and any such vessel or vehicle, with its contents, shall be subject to forfeiture.

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.