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H.R. 5619 107th Congress House

Illegal Transshipments Enforcement Act of 2002

Official title: To require the Secretary of the Treasury to take certain actions with respect to the prevention of illegal transshipments, and for other purposes.

Introduced: October 10, 2002 See on congress.gov
Foreign Trade and International Finance Air cargoBargesBusiness recordsCanada
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Civil actions and liabilityClothingClothing industryCommerceContainerizationCrime and Law EnforcementCustoms administrationDepartment of the TreasuryElectronic data interchangeElectronic government informationEmbezzlementEvidence (Law)ExportsFederal employeesFines (Penalties)Free ports and zonesFreightFreight forwardersGovernment Operations and PoliticsGovernment paperworkIdentification of criminalsImportsInternational AffairsInternational cooperationLabor and EmploymentLarcenyLatin AmericaLawMarine terminalsMexicoPipelinesRailroad freight operationsScience, Technology, CommunicationsSentences (Criminal procedure)Sentencing guidelinesSmugglingTextile fabricsTextile industryTransportation and Public WorksTrucksX-rays
This bill died when the 107th Congress ended
It never became law before the 107th Congress (2001–2002) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Nov 12, 2002
Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
Oct 10, 2002
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Oct 10, 2002
Introduced in House
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 Latest action November 12, 2002

Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
Illegal Transshipments Enforcement Act of 2002 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to require: (1) inspection of not less than one of every ten containers imported into the United States; (2) pre-arrival electronic filing of entry documentation within 72 hours prior to arrival for release from Customs Service custody of in-transit or in-bond goods; (3) application of technology for screening goods entering the United Stalest all in-transit goods; (4) physical verification of information filed for exportation of in-transit goods; (5) establishment of procedures to verify that in-transit goods that are declared to be exiting the United States are exported; (6) random inspections of at least one of every ten containers carried on rail cars, barges, pipelines, and trucks after importation; (7) security and background investigations of employees of all freight forwarders, booking handlers, and bonded carriers; (8) no mitigation of penalties for violations arising from transactions involving in-transit and in-bond textile and clothing goods and declarations regarding textile and apparel products on vessel manifests; (9) mis-description of a textile or apparel product on an entry document, manifest, or in-bond or in-transit documentation to be considered a purposeful and intentional act constituting fraud; (10) a specified increase in the number of field agents, import specialists, and inspectors dedicated to fraud and cargo enforcement; (11) establishment of a cargo fraud enforcement unit; (13) conduct of all inspections at ports and elimination of centralized inspection stations outside of ports; (14) establishment of rail inspection facilities near the border at all rail entry points; and (15) inspection of container rail traffic to the same extent as container port traffic.

Modifies prohibitions regarding cargo theft to: (1) delete the element that it be done with intent to convert the stolen goods to the person's own use; (2) include theft or fraud involving a trailer, air cargo container, or any Intermodal container, trailer, container freight station, warehouse, or freight consolidation facility; (3) increase the term of imprisonment for the theft of cargo valued at not more than $1,000; and (4) make it an affirmative defense that the defendant possessed the goods with the sole intent to report the matter to the owner or an appropriate law enforcement officer.

Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review the Federal sentencing guidelines to provide appropriate enhancement for cargo theft.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 5619: Illegal Transshipments Enforcement Act of 2002. 107th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/107-HR-5619/
MLA
"H.R. 5619: Illegal Transshipments Enforcement Act of 2002." 107th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/107-HR-5619/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 5619, 107th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/107-HR-5619/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 5619: Illegal Transshipments Enforcement Act of 2002](https://openamerica.io/bill/107-HR-5619/)
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