It is a sad indictment of the dictatorial policies of the U.S. government when an honest citizen has to fear confiscation of his or her private property, but that is today’s reality in Police State America.

An official policy continues of wanton confiscation of gold and gold coins by U.S. government agents, not only from innocent travelers, but in lawsuits against legitimate gold coin owners.

With the gold price nearing $1900 an ounce today (Aug. 22) it appears that the feds will go right on grabbing all they can.

In spite of the fact that ownership and possession of gold is fully legal for Americans government agents are seizing gold from innocent people, offering no justification and with no complaints from Obama administration officials. The bureaucrats even refuse to explain what Americans must do to avoid their attacks on private property.

Case in point: in May 2010, an individual asked the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) whether or not he was required to file one of FinCEN’s own forms, U.S. Treasury Form 105, when and if he transported an unspecified quantity of Canadian Maple Leaf silver coins across the U.S. border. A year later when the bureaucrats at FinCEN finally got around to replying they said they wouldn’t tell him because they did not give individual case opinions!

ICE Airport Seizures

Also in May 2010 I reported to you that U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) agents and Border Protection officers at the Houston, Texas at Bush airport seized almost $160,000 in gold and silver in 14 separate seizures from individual travelers during that month, none of which was involved in any criminal activity. Reason given: failure to file an obscure form called a “Shipper’s Export Declaration Form.”

My colleague, Mark Nestmann has written about Mexican airport police and customs officers also seizing gold coins from innocent travelers.

All of which serves as a background for my response to an email from a Sovereign Society member that stated: “I have gold and silver coins that I want to take with me to another country by air. What is the best way to carry them out; declaring the current value at the airport; not declaring them, because the amount on the coins doesn’t show the true value, and therefore doesn’t go over the $10,000 limit. If I want to take as many as a hundred coins out, what would be the best way?”

Here is my reply which I hope may save your gold should you travel across U.S. borders:

I don’t wish to alarm you or overload you with information about this topic, but you need to understand the problems that can arise when gold and silver coins (or any precious metals) are transported from the U.S. to other countries, or the reverse.