SFL attorneys Alexander Fischer and Fausto Sanchez recently recovered a sizeable sum of U.S. dollars that were improperly seized from a traveler by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, last year. The DEA seized the funds on an unfounded suspicion that the funds were connected to illicit activity. The DEA did not arrest the traveler or otherwise charge him with a crime, nor did it identify a nexus between the funds and any alleged criminal activity, yet it seized the funds anyway. SFL formally contested the seizure, and as a result of its efforts, the Asset Forfeiture Department of the U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed that it will be returning all funds to the traveler.
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SFL’s white-collar criminal defense practice represents a wide variety of clients under investigation or facing criminal prosecution, including large corporate entities, U.S-based individuals, and foreign nationals. Its white-collar team includes a board-certified specialist in criminal trial, a certified anti-money laundering specialist, two former prosecutors, and multiple bilingual attorneys well versed in internal corporate investigations, asset forfeitures, compliance, and OFAC economic sanctions. For more information about SFL, and its attorneys, please visit us online at www.sfl-law.com, or follow us on social media. #SFLCaseAlerts