Federal · Title 19 — Customs Duties

19 U.S.C. § 1589a: Enforcement authority of customs officers

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute grants customs officers specific law enforcement powers, including carrying firearms, serving legal documents, and making arrests for federal offenses under designated conditions.

Read the full statutory text

carry a firearm; execute and serve any order, warrant, subpena, summons, or other process issued under the authority of the United States; make an arrest without a warrant for any offense against the United States committed in the officer’s presence or for a felony, cognizable under the laws of the United States committed outside the officer’s presence if the officer has reasonable grounds to believe that the person to be arrested has committed or is committing a felony; and perform any other law enforcement duty that the Secretary of the Treasury may designate.

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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.