The US Department of Justice just upgraded its trade fraud operation from a task force to a permanent unit. On July 14, the DOJ announced the creation of the Global Trade Enforcement Section within the National Fraud Division, a dedicated team focused on criminal prosecution of import-related trade fraud.
From task force to permanent division
The new section builds on the Trade Fraud Task Force, which was established on August 29, 2025, as a joint effort between the DOJ, Department of Homeland Security, and Customs and Border Protection. In less than a year, that task force racked up over $1 billion in recoveries, penalties, and charged losses.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald highlighted the milestone as justification for making the operation permanent. The Global Trade Enforcement Section will handle criminal cases involving tariff evasion, misreporting of import values, violations of product safety regulations, and breaches of anti-forced labor laws.
Previous enforcement in this space leaned heavily on civil penalties and administrative fines. Criminal prosecution changes the calculus entirely.
