                        TITLE 19--CUSTOMS DUTIES
 
                      CHAPTER 4--TARIFF ACT OF 1930
 
                 SUBTITLE III--ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
 
                     Part V--Enforcement Provisions
 
Sec. 1608. Seizure; claims; judicial condemnation

    Any person claiming such vessel, vehicle, aircraft, merchandise, or 
baggage may at any time within twenty days from the date of the first 
publication of the notice of seizure file with the appropriate customs 
officer a claim stating his interest therein. Upon the filing of such 
claim, and the giving of a bond to the United States in the penal sum of 
$5,000 or 10 percent of the value of the claimed property, whichever is 
lower, but not less than $250, with sureties to be approved by such 
customs officer, conditioned that in case of condemnation of the 
articles so claimed the obligor shall pay all the costs and expenses of 
the proceedings to obtain such condemnation, such customs officer shall 
transmit such claim and bond, with a duplicate list and description of 
the articles seized, to the United States attorney for the district in 
which seizure was made, who shall proceed to a condemnation of the 
merchandise or other property in the manner prescribed by law.

(June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title IV, Sec. 608, 46 Stat. 755; Pub. L. 91-
271, title III, Sec. 301(e), June 2, 1970, 84 Stat. 288; Pub. L. 98-473, 
title II, Secs. 312, 321, Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2054, 2056; Pub. L. 
98-573, title II, Sec. 213(a)(5), Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2985; Pub. L. 
99-570, title I, Sec. 1862, Oct. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 3207-54; Pub. L. 
100-690, title VII, Sec. 7367(c)(2), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4479.)


                            Prior Provisions

    Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in R.S. 
Sec. 3076, which was superseded by act Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 356, title 
IV, Sec. 608, 42 Stat. 985, and was repealed by section 642 thereof. 
Section 608 of the 1922 act was superseded by section 608 of act June 
17, 1930, comprising this section, and repealed by section 651(a)(1) of 
the 1930 act.


                               Amendments

    1988--Pub. L. 100-690 reenacted section without change. See 1984 and 
1986 Amendment notes below.
    1986--Pub. L. 99-570, Sec. 1862(a), substituted ``$5,000'' for 
``$2,500''. See 1984 Amendment notes below.
    Pub. L. 99-570, Sec. 1862(b), which provided that ``Section 608 of 
such Act [this section], as enacted by Public Law 98-473, is repealed'', 
was not executed to text because such section was amended (rather than 
enacted) by Pub. L. 98-473, and to reflect the probable intent of 
Congress to repeal the amendment made by Pub. L. 98-473 in view of later 
amendment by Pub. L. 98-573. See 1984 Amendment notes below.
    1984--Pub. L. 98-573, Sec. 213(a)(5)(B), which directed the 
insertion of ``$2,500 or 10 percent of the value of the claimed 
property, whichever is lower, but not less than'' after ``penal sum 
of'', was executed to text as superseding the amendment made by Pub. L. 
98-473 to reflect the probable intent of Congress. See 1986 Amendment 
note above.
    Pub. L. 98-473, Sec. 312, inserted ``$5,000 or 10 per centum of the 
value of the claimed property, whichever is lower, but not less than,'' 
after ``penal sum of''. See 1984 and 1986 Amendment notes above.
    Pub. L. 98-573, Sec. 213(a)(5)(A), and Pub. L. 98-473, Sec. 321, 
inserted reference to aircraft.
    1970--Pub. L. 91-271 substituted references to appropriate customs 
officer or such customs officer for references to collector wherever 
appearing.


                    Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 98-573 effective Oct. 15, 1984, see section 
214(e) of Pub. L. 98-573, set out as a note under section 1304 of this 
title.


                    Effective Date of 1970 Amendment

    For effective date of amendment by Pub. L. 91-271, see section 203 
of Pub. L. 91-271, set out as a note under section 1500 of this title.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 1600 of this title.
