Senators are proposing to raise the current fine of $25,000 to $100,000 for tampering with shipping container seals prior to official release, as well as ban businesses that are repeat offenders, following serious concerns raised at a recent oversight hearing on the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency’s operations.
Another proposal would make it a felony to tamper with a Customs and Quarantine seal.
Sen. Therese Terlaje and others introduced two bills on Monday and Friday that seek to prevent tampering of Customs seals, better protect Guam’s borders from illegal drugs and other contraband, and hold violators accountable.
Terlaje, in introducing Bill 270-38, along with Sens. Telo Taitague and Chris Barnett, said none of the seal tampering violations that Customs and Quarantine encountered resulted in the suspension or revocation of any business license, “raising serious concern about the adequacy and enforcement of penalties necessary to deter such criminal activity.”
Senators said the tampering of cargo seals prior to official release “undermines the inspection process, compromises public safety, and erodes public trust in government enforcement.”
During a Feb. 2 oversight hearing, Customs and Quarantine officers told senators that they collected $200,000 in fines since 2019, associated with tampered container seals prior to official release from agency custody.
In 2025 alone, the agency reported a total of nine seal tampering violations, and one so far in 2026.
Senators seek stricter enforcement. Under Bill 270-38:
- any container or cargo placed under a Customs “hold” for inspection shall remain in a Customs-designated secured facility until the official inspection is completed. No sealed container or cargo shall be transferred or removed from Customs-designated secured facilities prior to official release from Customs custody.
- the fine for container seal tampering will be increased from $25,000 to $100,000, and the cargo involved will be confiscated.
- one-year suspension of the business license of all principals involved in the cargo seal tampering, unless the Customs and Quarantine director waives this in writing based on the degree of culpability, including negligence, gross negligence or fraud.
- two-year suspension of the business license if two violations occur in 10 years.
- permanent revocation of the business license or lifetime ban if there are more than two violations within 10 years.
The bill also provides for a provisional inspection site, which shall be “completely secured by a perimeter fence with a locked gate.”
Bill 271-38
Terlaje introduced on Monday Bill 271-38, which would make tampering with a Customs and Quarantine seal a felony of the third degree.
The bill’s co-sponsors are Democrat Sens. William Parkinson, Barnett and Sabina Perez, and Republican Sens. Christopher Duenas, Speaker Frank Blas Jr., and Taitague.
Under the bill, a person is guilty of tampering with Customs and Quarantine seals if he “intentionally breaks, removes, alters, or defaces” any seal that the agency placed on their container or cargo prior to its official release from Customs and Quarantine’s custody.
Attorney General Douglas Moylan has claimed that a lack of 100% inspection of the containers coming through the Port has resulted in the entry of methamphetamine into Guam.
At last week’s oversight hearing, Customs and Quarantine officials said around 324 pounds of meth with a street value of $8.6 million were confiscated in fiscal 2025 mostly from the mail, and none from the Port.
There were no meth seizures from the Port, Customs and Quarantine Director Ike Peredo told senators, even after a five-week joint special operations of local and federal law enforcement last year.
