TSA and carrying $10,000 or more cash on an airplane

If you are carrying more up to/more than $10,000 in cash on an airplane, can TSA detain you and seize the funds?  I know some "high rollers" going to Las Vegas for gambling like to carry that much cash on them, and if TSA finds this on a pat-down I'm sure they will want to know 1) If the money is legal  2) If it's drug money or not.

First off, how would you [legally] be able to prove the source/purpose for the money in this situation?  Secondly, what does the law say about travelling with large amounts of cash on domestic flights?  I only know of the standards for inernational flights and declaring it to customs.  

Thanks!

PandemicOperation:

If you are carrying more up to/more than $10,000 in cash on an airplane, can TSA detain you and seize the funds?  I know some "high rollers" going to Las Vegas for gambling like to carry that much cash on them, and if TSA finds this on a pat-down I'm sure they will want to know 1) If the money is legal  2) If it's drug money or not.

It is not illegal to carry large amounts of cash while traveling (foolish, certainly, IMO, since there are much better ways to get the cash to your destination). The government cannot seize the funds without first proving it to be connected with criminal activity or having a lien on the cash (e.g. from a tax assessment, etc). Absent some other fact found in the screening that would indicate criminal activity, the TSA should not detain you for long simply because you have a lot of cash on you.

Thanks for the answer!  I had trying to look for answers prior to asking but couldn't find anything concrete. Much appreciated.

you could not be more wrong. They can and will take the cash from you givving you a reciept and sending you on your way penniless and with  a very short time to to file a claim to it. Then you will have to prove where it came from thru an expensive unfair procedure. [foul language] Doubt it? Checkout "in REM" laws & proceedings

I edited your post to remove the foul language which is against site rules. I've included a quick guide to the rules of the forums for your review.

http://community.lawye...

Thank you for your cooperation going forward.

Sharon

Why is that? From what I read, they would only really do that on a domestic flight?

CuriouslyMadCheshire:

you could not be more wrong. They can and will take the cash from you givving you a reciept and sending you on your way penniless and with  a very short time to to file a claim to it. Then you will have to prove where it came from thru an expensive unfair procedure. [foul language] Doubt it? Checkout "in REM" laws & proceedings

You seem to assume because that happens in SOME cases that it happens in ALL cases. It does not. I used to be a lawyer for the federal government before leaving for private practice and know that from first hand experience. The government must have reason to believe that the cash is connected with illegal activity or have some other basis to seize the cash (i.e. a lien in favor of the government). Merely carrying a large amount of cash is not, without more, sufficient basis to believe the cash is connected with illegal activity.

While this thread concerned domestic flights, if someone comes into the U.S. from abroad with a large amount of cash and fails to declare it as required, that may provide a basis to seize the cash too.

CuriouslyMadCheshire:

Doubt it? Checkout "in REM" laws & proceedings

Yes, I doubt it.  You stated a lawyer (who formerly worked for the Federal Government) was "wrong". 

Yet, you did not have courtesy to at least explain why [YOU THINK] he is wrong, or provide us with a link where a situation like this has actually happened. 

" The government must have reason to believe that the cash is connected with illegal activity or have some other basis to seize the cash (i.e. a lien in favor of the government). Merely carrying a large amount of cash is not, without more, sufficient basis to believe the cash is connected with illegal activity. "

However, the facts that the individual has been interviewed and has admitted to the perfectly legal practice of carrying large amounts of cash are noted in police records. The police then looks for patterns of behavior to the end of preventing illegal behavior.

Find a guy carrying $$$ on NY to LA flights? Get the drug dogs to sniff him on his next LA to NY flight.