40+ Imported Defenders seized by Homeland Security Today (developing story)

[REDrum]

The amount of time and effort involved in this doesn't come close to offsetting any advantage that we (the people) have gotten out of this silly, silly regulation....

Safety is only silly until someone gets seriously injured, then those who were snickering usually head straight to an attorneys office... Our transportation safety regulations are there for public safety. What happens when an insurance company deny claim because the truck wasn't what the owners claimed? How could CBP let this happen will be posted all over the nightly news.

Todays seizure has been looming for years. There have been way too many contraband 110s imported, under dubious conditions, over the past 10 years, this is a long time coming. Sorry people got duped.

Not trying to be a ******** here, but there is a flip side to this story.

 

[Rockhounder]

Safety is only silly until someone gets seriously injured, then those who were snickering usually head straight to an attorneys office... Our transportation safety regulations are there for public safety. .

What about the trucks were any more unsafe, and posed any more of a danger to other motorists than a run of the mil usa made similar type vehicle? I'd like to know

 

[REDrum]

What about the trucks were any more unsafe, and posed any more of a danger to other motorists than a run of the mil usa made similar type vehicle? I'd like to know

you can start to find the answer to your question here: http://www.eastcoastrover.com/imports.html

Lots of information out there on what people have had to do to get non NAS versions to comply.

A USA made vehicle would be DOT compliant.

 

[roverandom]

Yes, far too dangerous children.

Rumour has it shoe laces will be next. Thousands of folks are needlessly injured every year by poorly tied laces. Big brother needs to strictly enforce Velcro straps only.

This entire safety argument is stupid. Nobody is forced to drive a Defender just like nobody is forced to ride a motorcycle.

Now Osama Bin Laden is gone I guess the DHS figures you guys need saving from the terrible menace of worlds best 4WD invading your shores?


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[Bigunit]

..."world's best 4WD"...you lost all credibility with that statement! ********.

 

[jhill15]

I wonder if the trucks that are being seized were bought and imported at an extremely low cost because maybe they couldnt pass mot in the uk and the owners could sell them for well above their value to a importer here in the states...truck gone/problem solved...dhs gets wind that the trucks were deemed unsafe and imported into the u.s...next thing you know theres guys in suits knocking on your door...

Idk just a theory lol

 

[proper4wd]

Todays seizure has been looming for years. There have been way too many contraband 110s imported, under dubious conditions, over the past 10 years, this is a long time coming.

This is truth. I remember about 5 years ago when I came face to face with a (at the time) 2 year old Puma engine 110 with Massachusetts plates on it... "the end is near".

HOWEVER, I do on a fundamental level disagree with the import law. I don't see the reason for the 25 year restriction in today's car world. Its not as if we are at risk of millions of people getting behind the wheel of imported death machines. There should be a way for collectors and enthusiasts to maybe individually import one non-exempt vehicle every 5 years or something like that. Civil liberties, so on and so forth.

 

[Howski]

As someone who had their vehicle seized, the amount of misinformation in this thread is unbelievable. This is not simply an 'original specs' issue, although that could certainly be a component. There is a reason all the seizures originate from the same importer/seller

 

[Dendy Jarrett]

Yes, far too dangerous children.

Rumour has it shoe laces will be next. Thousands of folks are needlessly injured every year by poorly tied laces. Big brother needs to strictly enforce Velcro straps only.

This entire safety argument is stupid. Nobody is forced to drive a Defender just like nobody is forced to ride a motorcycle.

Now Osama Bin Laden is gone I guess the DHS figures you guys need saving from the terrible menace of worlds best 4WD invading your shores?


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Best post of the day!
Thanks for a bed time laugh.
It was a stressful day for the Land Rover community. Someone needed to say what you just said ...

 

[roverandom]

..."world's best 4WD"...you lost all credibility with that statement! ********.

Wait, what? I had credibility??

Dang!


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[Ray_G]

The amount of time and effort involved in this doesn't come close to offsetting any advantage that we (the people) have gotten out of this silly, silly regulation....

This really isn't the core issue here in this specific case. That's the overarching regulation that set the conditions for this to happen, but isn't why today (yesterday) happened. The regulation itself is just governmental prose reflecting the federal government's constitutionally provided authority to regulate international commerce. If you don't like it, as was stated, change the law-though that will be difficult since you'll have to overcome resistance from domestic auto producers.

What happened with the seizures is the continuation of an investigation into what appears to be the illegal actions of an importer (wittingly, or otherwise) in conjunction with others trying to meet the demand in the US as the 25yr rule started to allow 90's/110's to be imported and since, to the layperson, they all look the same it was fairly easy to get in all manner of vehicles. The effort the DHS is applying, which is incorrectly being labeled a national security issue or whatever other rhetoric folks want to apply, is mostly likely because other law enforcement entities are involved (i.e. from the UK) where some of these vehicles were stolen, re-VIN'd, and then shipped here.

In essence this isn't about Obama, its not about Rick Perry guarding the border, or Gadsden flags, etc-it's about criminal activity in conjunction with international commerce and unfortunately at the far end of that line there are innocent people holding potential evidence.
r-
RAy

 

[roverandom]

If the US were more open to non protectionism and got rid of the 25 year rule, chicken tax, etc and allowed its citizens (pursuit of happiness?) to legally own vehicles they wanted without all the red tape then the opportunity for crime associated with this would be significantly reduced.

After all, how many vehicles would we be talking about here? Couple of thousand per year max??

Remember how prohibition worked out?


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[Kmrtnsn]

Before DHS was formed from several other agencies one of them operated for over two hundred years under the same name, the U.S. Customs Service. For those that think that just because the object of seizure was not located at your house when the agents came I suggest that you Google the term, "substitute assets".

There is no screwing around with the following statute.

18 U.S. Code § 545 - Smuggling goods into the United States


Whoever knowingly and willfully, with intent to defraud the United States, smuggles, or clandestinely introduces or attempts to smuggle or clandestinely introduce into the United States any merchandise which should have been invoiced, or makes out or passes, or attempts to pass, through the customhouse any false, forged, or fraudulent invoice, or other document or paper; or
Whoever fraudulently or knowingly imports or brings into the United States, any merchandise contrary to law, or receives, conceals, buys, sells, or in any manner facilitates the transportation, concealment, or sale of such merchandise after importation, knowing the same to have been imported or brought into the United States contrary to law—

Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.

Proof of defendant’s possession of such goods, unless explained to the satisfaction of the jury, shall be deemed evidence sufficient to authorize conviction for violation of this section.
Merchandise introduced into the United States in violation of this section, or the value thereof, to be recovered from any person described in the first or second paragraph of this section, shall be forfeited to the United States.
The term “United States”, as used in this section, shall not include the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Wake Island, Midway Islands, Kingman Reef, Johnston Island, or Guam.

 

[thedjjack]

wow....

anyone have a definition for freedom?

I suspect oil sales will be down...

Best wishes for those who lost loved ones today...

 

[Ray_G]

Fascinating that our Canadian neighbors are talking about freedom.

As Kmrtnsn points out Customs enforcement has a longstanding legacy in the US (long before other revenue streams like income tax).
This is more about commerce, and I'd also add it has a portion to do with rule of law and legitimacy. Many will say that we should have the freedom to buy whatever we want, and perhaps that is true as an overarching ideal to one degree or another, but that doesn't equate to the freedom to buy stolen merchandise from another country (i.e. the UK) without their law enforcement entities asking our law enforcement entities to mitigate the effects.

To be clear I'm not suggesting that our colleagues knowingly bought a vehicle with the purpose of deceiving the rules and regulations of the US (though anyone who has been in this community for more than 5 min knows that many did do exactly that as the 83/84's became legal for import).
r-
Ray