News & Analysis as of

Criminal Prosecution Tariffs

Morgan Lewis

US Department of Justice Establishes Trade Fraud Task Force to Counter Tariff Evasion

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In late August 2025, the US Department of Justice announced the formation of a cross-agency Trade Fraud Task Force that will specialize in tariff-related investigations. DOJ positioned the new task force as an extension of...more

Wiley Rein LLP

DOJ Launches Trade Fraud Task Force, Ramping Up Civil and Criminal Enforcement

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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced the creation of an interagency Trade Fraud Task Force aimed at stepping up enforcement against tariff evasion and customs fraud. The Task Force will bring together the...more

DLA Piper

DOJ Officially Launches the Trade Fraud Task Force

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The US Department of Justice (DOJ), in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), on August 29, 2025, launched a cross-agency Trade Fraud Task Force to bolster enforcement against tariff evasion, customs...more

Baker Donelson

Shifting Priorities: DOJ's Formation of the Market, Government, and Consumer Fraud Unit

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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) unveiled a revised strategy for white collar enforcement on May 12, 2025. Included in this policy realignment was the identification of trade and customs fraud as a "high impact area" that...more

Ice Miller

A New Era of Trade Enforcement: DOJ Expands Criminal and Civil Focus on Tariff Fraud

Ice Miller on

The shifting tariff landscape in 2025 has incentivized businesses to reexamine their import practices and identify any available options to reduce their tariff exposure and liability....more

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Tariff Evasion and Customs Fraud Under the Microscope: DOJ Signals Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Ahead

Given the Trump Administration’s unprecedented reliance on tariffs as a foreign policy tool and a means to protect and foster U.S. industry, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is rapidly shifting resources and enforcement...more

WilmerHale

Tariffs Take Hold Raising the Specter of Criminal and Civil Tariff Enforcement

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Seven months into President Donald Trump’s second administration, a new trade paradigm is emerging that presents challenges for everyone involved in bringing products into the United States. ...more

Lathrop GPM

DOJ Ramps Up Tariff Evasion Enforcement

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The Department of Justice (DOJ) has recently begun an aggressive enforcement campaign targeting companies and individuals that attempt to circumvent U.S. tariffs, particularly those imposed under President Trump’s ongoing...more

Oberheiden P.C.

10 Key Facts About the DOJ’s Crackdown on Tariff Evasion

Oberheiden P.C. on

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are cracking down on tariff evasion. The DOJ has expressly stated that exposing and prosecuting tariff evasion schemes is among its top...more

Blank Rome LLP

The Frontline is Everywhere: What General Counsel Need to Know About the Department of Justice’s Strategic Pivot Toward Customs...

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Introduction - The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) has announced a significant realignment of resources that will fundamentally reshape criminal enforcement of international trade rules. By combining senior prosecutors...more

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

DOJ Identifies Tariff Fraud as Enforcement Priority

The Trump administration’s announcement of a panoply of steep tariffs on April 2, 2025, and the associated tariff negotiations that followed, has been met with extensive media coverage and analysis. To emphasize the...more

K&L Gates LLP

Trump DOJ Elevating Criminal Prosecution of Tariff Evasion

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As part of the Trump administration’s broad repositioning of US international trade policy toward higher tariffs and enhanced customs enforcement, on 12 May 2025, the head of the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice...more

Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.

DOJ Announces Unit to Prosecute Criminal Customs and Trade Fraud

Escalating what has already been a strong focus on combating customs and trade fraud in President Donald Trump’s second administration, on July 10, 2025, the Department of Justice announced it would be devoting significant...more

Morrison & Foerster LLP

DOJ Deploys Specialized Criminal Unit to Target Tariff Evaders

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has deployed its Market Integrity and Major Frauds Unit to target tariff evasion, a clear sign of the escalation of trade enforcement. The Criminal Division’s specialized unit,...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

DOJ Ramps Up Enforcement Efforts Targeting Tariff Evasion and Trade Fraud

Troutman Pepper Locke on

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced that it is expanding its enforcement priorities to include a focus on import-related fraud — particularly schemes aimed at evading U.S. tariffs and duties. This marks a...more

DLA Piper

DOJ Expands Enforcement of Trade Fraud and Tariff Evasion

DLA Piper on

On July 10, 2025, officials from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a significant shift in DOJ’s strategy for fraud enforcement, consolidating resources from the Criminal Division and the Civil Division to create a...more

Morgan Lewis

DOJ Shifts Focus of Enforcement Efforts to Tariff Evasion

Morgan Lewis on

As the US administration has imposed and modified tariffs on key trading partners, the US Department of Justice has turned its focus to criminally prosecuting companies and individuals for tariff evasion....more

Womble Bond Dickinson

[Webinar] Compliance Priorities for In-House Counsel: Responding to Latest DOJ Priorities & Guidance - August 5th, 3:00 pm - 4:00...

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Join us for an informative webinar providing the latest updates on key compliance issues under the current administration. Our panel will address recent developments in tariffs, the FCPA, False Claims Act, and sanctions....more

Hogan Lovells

Imports and the False Claims Act: Recent Ninth Circuit decision reflects trends in increased import fraud enforcement and...

Hogan Lovells on

The Ninth Circuit’s recent decision in Island Industries Inc. v. Sigma Corporation, coupled with recent government pronouncements concerning trade enforcement, are likely to drive an increase in customs fraud FCA...more

ArentFox Schiff

Investigations Newsletter: Co-Founder and Accountant of Leading Special Needs Trusts Charged in $100 Million Alleged Fraud Scheme

ArentFox Schiff on

Earlier this week, the government unsealed an indictment against Leo Joseph Govoni, the co-founder of the nonprofit Center for Special Needs Trust Administration (CSNT), and John Leo Witeck, an accountant for CSNT, charging...more

Williams Mullen

Bracing for Impact: Tariff Compliance Risks due to Trump-Era Trade Policy Shifts

Williams Mullen on

Businesses engaged in international trade are struggling with a wave of uncertainty arising from recent shifts in U.S. tariff policy. Each day’s news cycle is peppered with stories about the Trump administration’s aggressive...more

Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP

The Department of Justice's Criminal Division is Now Prioritizing Enforcement Related to Trade, Tariff, and Customs Fraud:...

On May 12, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Criminal Division released a memorandum containing the Trump Administration’s new white collar enforcement priorities. Consistent with the Administration’s heightened...more

The Volkov Law Group

Criminal Liability and Tariff and Trade Enforcement

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Tariff and trade violations are on DOJ’s radar screen.  No question but starting with Customs and Border Patrol we can expect that regulatory investigations and enforcement actions will increase.  Along with that — you can...more

The Volkov Law Group

DOJ Applies False Claims Act to Tariff and Trade Violations (Part I of III)

The Volkov Law Group on

Never underestimate the creativity and ability of federal prosecutors to apply federal criminal laws to address “new” crimes or new enforcement programs. Corporate leaders and compliance officials are making a serious...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Department of Justice Tariff Enforcement Likely to Surge After Tariff Increases and the Administration’s Increased Focus on...

A serious step up in civil and criminal enforcement of customs laws, including tariff evasion, is imminent. In a May 12 memorandum, the Department of Justice’s new Chief of the Criminal Division, Matthew Galeotti, counted as...more

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