U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has reported an incident involving a Global Entry member at Philadelphia International Airport. The traveler, whose identity remains undisclosed due to the absence of criminal charges, failed to declare over $183,000 in merchandise purchased in Paris.
Initially, the traveler claimed no purchases were made during the trip. However, upon further examination, she verbally and in writing declared $66,000 worth of goods. CBP officers then requested a detailed calculation from her receipts, revealing a total of 136,612 Euros ($158,307). This contradicted a VAT receipt from France indicating purchases amounting to 158,200 Euros ($183,065).
The undeclared items included two Cartier diamond "Love" pavé gold bracelets and two Santos de Cartier necklaces. As a result of this discrepancy, CBP imposed over $10,000 in duty charges and initiated proceedings to revoke her Global Entry membership.
Cleatus P. Hunt, Jr., CBP’s Area Port Director in Philadelphia stated: “Customs and Border Protection places a significant measure of trust in Global Entry members, and trusted traveler status cannot be used as a license to deliberately violate our nation’s laws.”
Global Entry is designed for expedited clearance for pre-approved travelers but mandates compliance with U.S. laws. Members may still undergo random checks.
CBP emphasizes that all travelers should be aware of customs regulations before traveling to avoid such incidents. The agency collected over $88 billion in duties and taxes on imports during fiscal year 2024.
