The Trump administration announced Tuesday that its trade fraud task force has surpassed $1 billion in criminal and civil recoveries, penalties, forfeitures, and publicly charged losses during its first year, Justice Department officials said at a press conference in Chicago.The DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security launched the Trade Fraud Task Force in August last year to investigate customs fraud across global supply chains. Its cases target schemes including false country-of-origin declarations, misclassified goods, and the routing of products through third countries to evade tariffs.
"This, milestone was only possible because of an unprecedented whole-of-government coalition…Let this serve as a warning: If you ignore supplier red flags to pad your margins, you will be held accountable." – Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald pic.twitter.com/uTytQZN0Uh— National Fraud Enforcement Division (@DOJFraudDiv) July 14, 2026
“Trade fraud is a serious economic crime,” said Colin M. McDonald, assistant attorney general for DOJ’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “This billion-dollar milestone demonstrates that the United States and the National Fraud Enforcement Division will no longer allow the integrity of our country’s borders and markets to be compromised for illicit profit.”Officials announced charges Tuesday in two Chicago cases involving more than $930 million in imported gold jewelry.Raj Kohli and Veena Kohli, operators of California-based Surya International, allegedly imported about $693 million in jewelry from India and the United Arab Emirates while falsely declaring that it originated in Singapore from approximately August 2020 to May 2024. Prosecutors said the scheme avoided more than $38 million in customs duties.Golden and jewelry seized by law enforcement in May 2022. (Department of Justice)
