MD Couple Pays $27K In Penalties On Undeclared Items At Dulles Airport

DULLES, VA — A Maryland couple who'd just arrived on a flight from Paris agreed to pay a combined duty fee and penalty of $27,289 after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Washington Dulles International Airport discovered $96,871 in undeclared merchandise in they baggage, according to a release.

After arriving at the airport on Sunday and processing their admission at a Global Entry kiosk, the couple encountered a CPB officer who asked if they had bought anything on their trip. They replied that they had nothing to declare. When the officer asked about their Chanel bag, the couple said that they had between $300 and $900 in merchandise to declare.

Following questions from another officer, the couple underwent a secondary examination, which involved a search of their baggage. During this process, CBP said the couple repeatedly revised the amount of merchandise to declare. One of the travelers eventually produced receipts totally $96,871. Rather than forfeiting the merchandise, the couple agreed to pay the combined duty fee and penalty of $27,289.

The couple also face revocation of their Global Entry status as part of CBP's Trusted Traveler Program. With Global Entry, pre-approved, low-risk travelers receive expedited clearance when entering the U.S. Members are required to comply with all U.S. laws and regulations, as well as provide truthful answers during questioning by a CBP officer.

“Customs and Border Protection places a significant measure of trust in Global Entry members, and trusted traveler status cannot be used as a license to deliberately violate our nation’s laws,” said Daniel Escobedo, CBP’s area port director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C., in a release. “Trusted traveler programs are a cornerstone to our border security mission of facilitating lawful trade and travel, so ensuring the integrity of these programs remains of paramount concern to us.”