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19 USC § 1589a - Enforcement authority of customs officers

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t19/s1589a"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "19 USC § 1589a - Enforcement authority of customs officers"
title_number: 19
title_name: "CUSTOMS DUTIES"
section_number: "1589a"
section_name: "Enforcement authority of customs officers"
chapter_number: 4
chapter_name: "TARIFF ACT OF 1930"
part_number: "V"
part_name: "Enforcement Provisions"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title IV, § 589, as added Pub. L. 98–573, title II, § 213(a)(17), Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2988.)"
---

# § 1589a. Enforcement authority of customs officers

Subject to the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, an officer of the customs may—

**(1)** carry a firearm;

**(2)** execute and serve any order, warrant, subpena, summons, or other process issued under the authority of the United States;

**(3)** 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

**(4)** perform any other law enforcement duty that the Secretary of the Treasury may designate.

---

**Source Credit**: (June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title IV, § 589, as added Pub. L. 98–573, title II, § 213(a)(17), Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2988.)

## Editorial Notes

### Codification

Another section 589 of act , as added by , , , was classified to , prior to repeal by .

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 589 of , , related to unlawful relanding and was classified to this section, prior to repeal by , , eff. . See , Crimes and Criminal Procedure.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective , see , set out as an Effective Date of 1984 Amendment note under .