The Department of Justice has named the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago as a lead prosecutorial partner for its newly established Trade Fraud Task Force. The announcement was made by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
The Trade Fraud Task Force was created to enforce federal customs laws and target those who attempt to defraud the United States through illegal importation or smuggling prohibited goods into the country. The task force aims to address activities that destabilize industries, avoid lawful duties, or bypass regulations related to public health, safety, intellectual property rights, and national security.
In a speech at the Forum on Trade Investigations Enforcement and Litigation in Arlington, Virginia, Cody Matthew Herche, head of the Department of Justice’s Trade Fraud Task Force, highlighted Chicago’s role in this initiative. Herche commended U.S. Attorney Boutros for his “partnership and extensive thought leadership in highlighting and combatting trade fraud” as well as his longstanding work on these issues.
During his tenure as Assistant U.S. Attorney from 2008 to 2015, Boutros led several large-scale criminal trade fraud prosecutions involving 27 corporate and individual defendants across multiple indictments with losses totaling approximately $260 million. These cases have influenced how future prosecutions will be developed by the task force.
Boutros reflected on his experience: “As Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. observed, ‘[A] page of history is worth a volume of logic.’ Early in my career as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in this Office, I led a series of momentous trade fraud prosecutions that laid the groundwork for the Trade Fraud Task Force. There were many unprecedented challenges in these difficult cases, but I was determined by a strong sense of the law and all equities, while also being fortified by an unwavering agency partner in the Department of Homeland Security in Chicago. Together we persevered and worked relentlessly for years to bring what still stand as the largest and most significant criminal trade fraud cases in our nation’s history. I take great pride in knowing that we were the architects of this enforcement area and that we were decades ahead of our time. It is also deeply satisfying that the vision we had for this enforcement area nearly 20 years ago has now been adopted at the very highest levels of the Department and is being implemented across the whole of government.”
The Northern District of Illinois covers 18 counties stretching from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River and serves as a key transportation hub within both regional and national networks. The Illinois International Port District (Port of Chicago) handles more than 19 million tons of cargo each year via water, train or truck connections throughout Chicago’s Southeast Side region.
O’Hare International Airport ranked among global leaders for air cargo traffic in 2024 by moving over two million tons annually; meanwhile, Chicago Rockford International Airport transported over one million tons per year—placing it among America’s busiest airports for cargo operations.
Boutros stated: “Chicago is one of the largest and most significant inland ports in the United States, allowing for expansive venue opportunities for criminal and civil trade fraud matters,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Trade compliance is a key concern for not only our region’s economic security, but also that of our entire nation’s. The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will be strongly committed to holding parties accountable for their fraudulent schemes that undermine honest American competitors.We are proud to stand with our Department of Justice and agency partners as a prosecutorial leader of the Trade Fraud Task Force.I applaud the Administration for bringing greater focus, intensity, efficiency,and impact to prosecuting all varietiesoftradefraudand safeguarding American ingenuityandsecurity.”
The task force intends to further policies focused on enforcing customs laws through actions under statutes such as the Tariff Act and the False Claims Act, including criminal prosecution when appropriate.
Importers,supply chain actors,and other stakeholders are encouragedto audit their practices,self-disclose any unlawful conduct,and cooperate with authorities.In addition,the task force welcomes whistleblower reports through False Claims Act filings or referrals from domestic industries affected by unfair trading practices.
