19 USC § 1611 - Seizure; sale unlawful

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t19/s1611"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "19 USC § 1611 - Seizure; sale unlawful"
title_number: 19
title_name: "CUSTOMS DUTIES"
section_number: "1611"
section_name: "Seizure; sale unlawful"
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, § 611, 46 Stat. 755; Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 321, Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2056; Pub. L. 98–573, title II, § 213(a)(8), Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2985.)"
---


# § 1611. Seizure; sale unlawful

*Provided*

If the sale of any vessel, vehicle, aircraft, merchandise, or baggage forfeited under the customs laws in the district in which seizure thereof was made be prohibited by the laws of the State in which such district is located, or if a sale may be made more advantageously in any other district, the Secretary of the Treasury may order such vessel, vehicle, aircraft, merchandise, or baggage to be transferred for sale in any customs district in which the sale thereof may be permitted. Upon the request of the Secretary of the Treasury, any court may, in proceedings for the forfeiture of any vessel, vehicle, aircraft, merchandise, or baggage under the customs laws, provide in its decree of forfeiture that the vessel, vehicle, aircraft, merchandise, or baggage, so forfeited, shall be delivered to the Secretary of the Treasury for disposition in accordance with the provisions of this section. If the Secretary of the Treasury is satisfied that the proceeds of any sale will not be sufficient to pay the costs thereof, he may order a destruction by the customs officers: , That any merchandise forfeited under the customs laws, the sale or use of which is prohibited under any law of the United States or of any State, may, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Treasury, be destroyed, or remanufactured into an article that is not prohibited, the resulting article to be disposed of to the profit of the United States only.

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**Source Credit**: (June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title IV, § 611, 46 Stat. 755; Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 321, Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2056; Pub. L. 98–573, title II, § 213(a)(8), Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2985.)

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in , . That section was superseded by section 611 of act , comprising this section, and repealed by section 651(a)(1) of the 1930 act.

### Amendments

1984— and  inserted reference to aircraft in four places.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , see , set out as a note under .