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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 convince an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) to file a complaint for forfeiture in the appropriate United States District Court.

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

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.

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.

Examples of Recent DEA Forfeiture Notifications

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

DEA OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION NOVEMBER 26, 2020

This article was last updated on Friday, October 30, 2025.

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Case Results

$2,170,000 Binance Account Unfrozen

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Appellate Win

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*The case results discussed here do not necssarily reflect the potential outcomes of other cases. The facts and circumstances of each case are unique and must be evaluated and handled on their own merit.

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