00:00 The episode starts with an ad for the Capital One Quicksilver card and then goes on a tangent about darts before finally getting to the topic of customs.

05:38 Customs and immigration agencies were merged together in the United States in 2003 to form Customs and Border Protection, which regulates importing and exporting through the collection of duties and tariffs.

10:33 The U.S. Customs Service, which was the largest government agency in terms of size and revenue for most of the history of the United States, played a significant role in funding the construction of Washington, D.C., the transcontinental railroad, lighthouses, and the Louisiana Purchase, among other things, and also served as the first and only federal law enforcement agency for a long time, handling various tasks such as immigration, border patrol, the VA, the DEA, and the census bureau.

15:44 During the Prohibition era, customs agents faced dangerous situations and bribery, and the need for faster boats led to the creation of speed boats.

21:08 Customs agents regulate trade at both the individual and business level, generating revenue through tariffs on imported goods, but face challenges in inspecting every shipping container that enters the country.

26:42 Customs agents rely on travelers to honestly declare their purchases and the value of those purchases, and there are exemptions for duty fees up to a certain amount, but anything over that amount may be subject to a 3% duty fee.

32:10 Customs officers may choose not to charge travelers the additional duty fees for small purchases, and duty free shops in airports can offer good deals on alcohol and tobacco, but if you exceed your duty-free exemption, you will have to pay duty fees on those items.

37:06 Customs officers are known for regulating trade and shipping containers, as well as thwarting smugglers.

42:57 Customs officers can search you without a warrant or probable cause, and they use behavioral science and training to detect lying and deception.

48:04 Customs officers use dogs and behavioral science to detect drugs, and they also have x-ray rooms and truck-size x-rays to scan containers, and they may even use dogs to sniff out drugs on planes, and they are also looking for cash money to prevent money laundering.

53:21 Customs officers in California have a produce stop where they check for prohibited goods like fruits and vegetables due to infestations of pests, and there have been instances of intentional eco-terrorist attacks involving MedFlies, and cultural artifacts are regulated and subject to repatriation by ICE.

58:54 This section of the podcast is not relevant to the topic of customs and does not provide any new information.