Merchandise Smuggling
Smuggling is one of the most serious customs offenses in the Argentine legal system. It involves both the federal criminal and administrative customs jurisdiction, and its consequences can range from the seizure of goods to effective imprisonment. Legal assistance from the very first moment — even in the customs primary zone — can be decisive for the outcome of the case.
I defend individuals and companies at every stage of the process, from the initial detection through the highest appellate instances in the country.
My functions in this area:
- Immediate assistance in the customs primary zone upon detection of goods in alleged smuggling
- Defense in criminal cases for import and export smuggling before Federal Courts
- Procedural strategy under the customs criminal regime (Law 22,415, Section XII)
- Representation at oral trial before the Federal Courts
- Appeals before the Federal Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Justice
- Management of precautionary measures and release of retained or seized goods
- Extinction of criminal action through voluntary payment (Art. 930, Customs Code)
- Defense in minor smuggling cases (Art. 947, Customs Code)
- Design and implementation of Customs Compliance programs for companies, aimed at preventing violations and reducing criminal risk in the foreign trade supply chain
When do you need this service?
If you were notified of a smuggling case, if your goods were detained at customs under suspicion of a criminal offense, if you are a customs broker involved in an investigation, or if your company wants to implement a prevention system to avoid these situations — now is the time to consult.
