Executive Assistant Commissioner Diane J. Sabatino of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) posted a series of updates on December 17, 2025, highlighting enforcement actions taken by the agency in Detroit and at the U.S. border.
In her first message, Sabatino reported on CBP's efforts to prevent tariff evasion in Detroit: "In the Motor City, CBP knows a bad brake job when they see one. Detroit Import Specialists halted a tariff-evasion attempt on auto brake parts, recovering $554K in revenue.
#OFOproud #TradeEnforcement https://t.co/pf77qMDJbM" (December 17, 2025). The statement underscores the role of import specialists in identifying attempts to evade tariffs and protecting government revenue.
Later that day, Sabatino addressed immigration enforcement at the border with two messages, one in Spanish and one in English. She stated: "Intentar cruzar la frontera ilegalmente no garantiza la entrada. Significa que será procesado, detenido y considerado inadmisible por oficiales de @CBP que aplican la ley de inmigración de EE. UU. https://t.co/JFm7jd6YyK" (December 17, 2025), followed by "Trying to cross the border illegally doesn't mean you'll get in. It means you'll be processed, detained, and deemed inadmissible by @CBP officers enforcing US immigration law. https://t.co/oAneWtE9Cz" (December 17, 2025).
The CBP is tasked with enforcing trade laws at ports of entry as well as immigration laws along U.S. borders. Tariff evasion has been a persistent issue for customs authorities; operations such as those described by Sabatino are part of broader efforts to ensure compliance with federal regulations and secure government revenue.
Additionally, CBP officers regularly process individuals attempting unauthorized entry into the United States under established protocols—actions which include detention and assessment of admissibility based on U.S. immigration law.
