U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY-CUSTOMS SERVICE
The U.S. Customs Service, an agency within the Department of Treasury, is responsible for enforcing the laws of the United States at the country’s borders with respect to goods entering or leaving the country.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Customs Service divides its offices among seven regions.
ABOUT THE U.S. CUSTOMS SERVICE
The United States Customs Service was the portion of the U.S. Federal Government dedicated to keeping illegal products outside of U.S. borders. It also regulated what could leave the United States and was partially responsible for who could enter the United States.
Operations were divided into three components- the first of which was the Office of Field Operations (OFO) which handled duties and tax penalties along with helping to prevent contraband from entering the United States. It was primarily made up of Inspectors that served as the “front-line” of Customs by monitoring and policing all international ports of entry into the United States, (land, sea or air); by screening incoming and outgoing international shipments of cargo; as well as inspecting informal entries of dutiable goods by individuals through personal transport or shipment through international postal carriers (government and private). Inspectors also handled operations regarding smuggling of contraband into the United States and control the exportation of controlled or strategic resources from the United States. Other OFO personnel included Import Specialists, Intelligence Officers, and other contracted personnel responsible for record keeping, handling protest and tax penalty arbitration along with other record support functions.
Import Specialists provided the backbone of OFO by providing expertise concerning proper classification of goods for the purpose of charging duties. The primary resource for determining duty classifications is the two volume Harmonized Tariff Schedule for the United States or HTSUS, which is updated annually. Import Specialists were divided into Commodity Teams (CTs) which are assigned specific types of goods to specialize in. For example: one team may be assigned vehicles, vehicle components and ball bearings and another may be assigned clothing, textiles and toys. Each CT is assigned a more senior Import Specialist whose job it is to train Import Specialists that are new to a particular Commodity Team. These individuals are usually defacto experts in the analysis of goods that they are assigned and are often called upon to physically inspect goods entering (or petitioning to enter) the United States. They are primarily enagaged in activities concerning Formal Entries which are handled by Customs Brokerage Houses, but they also provide assistance in Informal Entries.
The second operational component of the United States Customs Service was the Office of Investigations or “OI.” The Office of Investigations consisted of specialized sections of Special Agents that were divided by common crimes regarding international affairs. Primary sections included Financial Crimes, Narcotics, Strategic, and Computer Forensics. The Office of Investigation also included an Internal Affairs section that monitored and investigated allegations of misconduct and criminal activity within both the Office of Investigation and the Office of Field Operations. As part of the reorganization associated with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of Investigation was transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 1, 2003.
The third operational component of the U.S. Customs Service was the Air and Marine Branch. This component was primarily responsible for airborne and waterborne detection and interdiction of smuggled contraband, but also supported OI enforcement operations such as surveillance and the execution of high-risk warrants. Prior to March 1, 2003, the United States Customs Service operated the 8th largest fleet of aircraft in the world. After March 1, 2003 OFO was transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), but the Air and Marine Branch remained with OI in the newly formed ICE. However, by the beginning of 2006 the decision was made to combine the ICE Air and Marine Branch with similar CBP air and marine assets to form CBP Air and Marine Operations (AMO).
U.S. CUSTOMS OFFICES
HEADQUARTER OFFICE
U.S. Customs Service
1201 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20229
Phone: 202/927-6724
NORTHEAST REGIONAL OFFFICES
MASSACHUSETTS
10 Causeway Street
Boston, MA 02222-1056
Phone: 617/565-6215
NEW YORK
6 World Trade Center
New York, NY 10048
Phone: 212/466-4547
NORTHEAST DISTRICT OFFICES
MAINE
312 Fore Street
P.O. Box 4688
Portland, ME 04112
Phone: 207/780-3326
MARYLAND
40 South Gay Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: 410/962-2666
NEW JERSEY
Hemisphere Center
Newark, NJ 07102
Phone: 201/645-3760
NEW YORK
Kennedy Airport Area
Building 178, Room 330B
Jamaica, NY 11430
Phone: 718/553-1542
111 West Huron Street, Room 603
Buffalo, NY 14202
Phone: 716/846-4373
127 North Water Street
Ogdensburg, NY 13669
Phone: 315/393-0660
PENNSYLVANIA
Second and Chestnut Streets, Room 102
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Phone: 215/597-4605
RHODE ISLAND
49 Pavillion Avenue
Providence, RI 02905
Phone: 401/528-5080
VERMONT
Main and Stabbins Streets
P.O. Box 1490
St. Albans, VT 05478
Phone: 802/524-1521
SOUTHEAST REGIONAL OFFICE
FLORIDA
909 Southeast First Avenue
Miami, FL 33130
Phone: 305/536-5952
SOUTHEAST DISTRICT OFFICES
FLORIDA
4430 East Adamo Drive, Suite 301
Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: 813/228-2381
GEORGIA
One East Bay Street
Savannah, GA 31401
Phone: 912/944-4356
NORTH CAROLINA
One Virginia Avenue
Wilmington, NC 28401
Phone: 919/343-4601
PUERTO RICO
One La Puntilla
Old San Juan, PR 00901
Phone: 809/729-6950
SOUTH CAROLINA
200 East Bay Street
Charleston, SC 29402
Phone: 803/724-4312
VIRGIN ISLANDS
Main P.O. Sugar Estate
Charlotte Amalie
St. Thomas, VI 00801
Phone: 809/774-2530
VIRGINIA
101 East Main Street
Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone: 804/441-6546
WASHINGTON, D.C.
P.O. Box 17423
Washington, D.C. 20041
Phone: 703/318-0027
SOUTHWEST REGIONAL OFFICE
TEXAS
5850 San Felipe Street
Houston, TX 77057
Phone: 713/953-6825
SOUTHWEST DISTRICT OFFICES
TEXAS
1215 Royal Lane
P.O. Box 619050
Fort Worth, TX 75261
Phone: 214/574-2170
Building B, Room 134
Bridge of the Americas
P.O. Box 9516
El Paso, TX 79985
Phone: 915/534-6798
Lincoln Juarez Bridge
P.O. Box 3130
Laredo TX, 78041-3130
Phone: 512/726-2267
4550 75th Street
Port Arthur, TX 77642
Phone: 409/724-0087
ARIZONA
International and Terrace Streets
Nogales, AZ 85621
Phone: 602/761-2010
SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL OFFICE
LOUISIANA
423 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone: 504/589-2976
SOUTH CENTRAL DISTRICT OFFICE
ALABAMA
150 North Royal Street
Mobile, AL 36602
Phone: 205/690-2106
NORTH CENTRAL REGIONAL OFFICE
ILLINOIS
55 East Monroe Street
Chicago, IL 60603-5890
Phone: 312/886-3377
NORTH CENTRAL DISTRICT OFFICES
ILLINOIS
610 South Canal Street
Chicago, IL 60607
Phone: 312/353-6100
MICHIGAN
477 Michigan Avenue, Room 200
Detroit, MI 48226-2568
Phone: 313/226-3177
MINNESOTA
515 West First Street, Room 209
Duluth, MN 55802-1390
Phone: 218/720-5201
110 South Fourth Street
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: 612/348-1690
MISSOURI
7911 Forsyth Boulevard, Suite 625
St. Louis, MO 63105
Phone: 314/425-3134
MONTANA
300 Second Avenue South
P.O. Box 789
Great Falls, MT 59405
Phone: 406/453-7631
NORTH DAKOTA
Federal Building
P.O. Box 610
Pembina, ND 58271
Phone: 701/825-6201
OHIO
Plaza Nine Building, 6th Floor
55 Erieview Plaza
Cleveland, OH 44114
Phone: 216/522-4284
WISCONSIN
6269 Ace Industrial Drive
P.O. Box 37260
Milwaukee, WI 53237-0260
Phone: 414/297-3925
PACIFIC REGIONAL OFFICE
CALIFORNIA
One World Trade Center, Suite 705
Long Beach, CA 90831
Phone: 213/491-7200
PACIFIC DISTRICT OFFICES
ALASKA
605 West Fourth Street
Anchorage, AK 99501
Phone: 907/271-2675
CALIFORNIA
300 South Ferry Street
Terminal Island
San Pedro, CA 90731
Phone: 213/514-6001
880 Front Street, Suite 5-S-9
San Diego, CA 92188
Phone: 619/557-5360
P.O. Box 2450
San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: 415/705-4340
HAWAII
335 Merchant Street
P.O. Box 1641
Honolulu, HI 96806
Phone: 808/541-1725
OREGON
511 Northwest Broadway
Portland, OR 97209
Phone: 503/326-2865
WASHINGTON
1000 Second Avenue, Suite 2200
Seattle, WA 98104
Phone: 206/553-0554
Note: The article above may not contain current information.
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