DEA Forfeiture Publications

If your property was seized by a DEA agent, the attorneys at Sammis Law Firm can help you get it back. We can help you file a “verified claim” for court action to trigger DEA’s 90 day deadline to file a complaint for forfeiture in the appropriate United States District Court.

If DEA does not file the complaint within that 90 day period, they must return the property to you.

The first step is finding the notice of seizure. The personal notice of seizure will be mailed to you. The DEA is also required to publish a copy of the notice of seizure on the forfeiture.gov website.

Although you do not necessarily need the notice of seizure to file the verified claim, finding it will help you avoid missing a deadline.

The DEA publishes a list of official notifications on the www.forfeiture.gov website. In the legal notice, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) publishes a list of property seized for federal forfeiture for violating federal law. The full list can be viewed here: https://www.forfeiture.gov/pdf/DEA/OfficialNotification.pdf

Attorney for Forfeitures by DEA

If a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized your property, contact an experienced civil asset forfeiture attorney at Sammis Law Firm.

We can explain the requirements for a seizure of property, the best way to contest the legality of the seizure, and how to fight for the return of your money or property taken by a DEA agent.

Read more about fighting forfeiture after a DEA seizing of property.

Call 813-250-0500.

Laws and Procedures for DEA Forfeitures

The laws and procedures applicable to the forfeiture process can be found at 19 U.S.C. Sections 1602 – 1619, 18 U.S.C. Section 983, and 28 C.F.R. Parts 8 and 9.

The only way to challenge the forfeiture is to file a claim in court within the allotted time. You may contest the forfeiture of the property listed below in U.S. District Court by filing a claim before:

• the deadline date listed in the written notice served via personal letter; or
• the deadline listed in the notice published online, which might be not later than 11:59 PM EST 30 days after the date of final publication of this notice of seizure (if no personal letter was served).

The claim must describe the seized property, state your ownership or other interest in the property, and be made under oath, subject to the penalty of perjury, or meet the requirements of an unsworn statement under penalty of perjury. See 18 U.S.C. Section 983(a)(2)(C) and 28 U.S.C. Section 1746.

A claim need not be made in any particular form and may be filed online or in writing. See 18 U.S.C. Section 983(a)(2)(D).

Claims must be sent to the DEA according to the instructions shown in the applicable notice.

The https://www.forfeiture.gov/FilingClaim.htm website provides access to a standard claim form that may be mailed and the link to file a claim online.

Filing a claim for court action after a seizure by the DEA is not a good “do-it-yourself” project. Instead, retain an experienced civil asset forfeiture attorney to contest a DEA seizure.

Examples of DEA Forfeiture Notifications

A sample of recent DEA notifications for cases in Florida is listed below:

DEA OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION NOVEMBER 26, 2020

DEA Seizures of Frozen Cryptocurrency for Forfeiture

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) actively targets cryptocurrency for forfeiture. The forfeiture action is intended to dismantle drug trafficking and money laundering organizations, but innocent owners can be swept up into these investigations.

By combining traditional investigative methods with advanced blockchain tracing analytics, the DEA has made numerous crypto seizures, targeting tens of millions of dollars linked to major cartels and other alleged criminal organizations.

The DEA views cryptocurrency as an essential part of the modern criminal financial infrastructure and has adapted its methods to target digital assets. For example, DEA uses blockchain analysis software to trace the flow of illicit funds across different wallets. The analysis might help DEA uncover complex obfuscation techniques, such as cross-chain swaps and the use of unhosted wallets.

DEA also uses digital tracing, as well as traditional techniques including undercover operations, confidential sources, physical surveillance, and subpoenas to virtual asset service providers (VASPs) and exchanges.

DEA seizures are conducted through both criminal and civil asset forfeiture proceedings. Criminal forfeiture requires a conviction of a person accused of a crime. On the other hand, civil asset forfeiture is an in rem action brought against the property itself and requires the government to prove a link to criminal activity by a preponderance of the evidence.

DEA works with other federal agencies, including FBI, IRS-CI, HSI, and CBP, as well as international law enforcement authorities to seize cryptocurrency located in other jurisdictions.

Recently, DEA announced seizing Sinaloa Cartel Funds in mid-2025, as part of a joint DEA and FBI operation in Miami. The seized property included over $10 million in cryptocurrency allegedly linked to the the Mexico-based Sinaloa cartel’s fentanyl trafficking operations.

The DEA and federal prosecutors announced seizing more than $5.5 million in Tether (USDT) as part of a cartel money laundering scheme that involved the movement of funds through various cryptocurrencies and unhosted wallets.

Individuals whose cryptocurrency is seized by DEA have the right to challenge the action in court. The individual must be notified forfeiture proceedings so they can file a verified claim for court action to assert their ownership interest. In some cases, the cryptocurrency exchange will provide contact information that might include an email like SCC.Seizure@dea.gov.

The attorney at Sammis Law Firm are experienced with DEA seizures of frozen cryptocurrency. We can contact DEA on our behalf, help you file a verified claim, and present information showing you are an innocent owner or present other defenses, such as proving the assets were from a legitimate source or that the owner was unaware of any unlawful use.

Read more about finding a civil asset forfeiture attorney for seizures of cryptocurrency by DEA or other federal agencies.

This article was last updated on Monday, November 17, 2025.