Supreme Court validates ôsuspicionlessö container inspections
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in “United States v. Flores-Montano” that customs officers could search the gas tank of a vehicle crossing a U.S. border without having reasonable suspicion.
The high court quoted, in a footnote to its 9-0 ruling, a pertinent part of 46 Stat. 747, 19 U.S.C. 1581(a): “Any officer of the customs may at any time go on board … any vessel or vehicle at any place in the United States or within the customs waters.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert C. Bonner said the decision would prove “vital to our mission” of intercepting terrorists.
Bonner said that the Supreme Court’s decision also applied to searches of containers at ports.
In the case at hand, the high court broadened “the government’s authority to conduct suspicionless inspections.” The court added in a concluding footnote: “We think it clear that delays of one to two hours at international borders are to be expected.”