Mexican customs seized your shipment? The clock started when you were handed the acta.

What the law says

Five dates and rules that decide the case.

• Ten business days. You are treated as served when you receive a copy of the acta de inicio. From the next business day you have ten business days to file written evidence and arguments with the authority that issued it (Customs Law, arts. 150 and 153). Saturdays, Sundays and official holidays do not count.
• Immediate resolution. If the evidence proves lawful presence or rebuts the ground for the seizure, the authority must resolve at once, with no penalties, and order the goods returned (art. 153).
• Four months. Otherwise the final resolution must be issued within four months of a complete file. If it is not, the acts that opened the proceeding lose effect.
• Release against a guarantee. In many cases the seizure can be replaced by a guarantee while the case runs (art. 154), except in the cases of art. 183-A, where the goods pass to the federal treasury.
• Perishable or hazardous goods. If lawful presence is not proven within ten days, the authority may destroy, donate or assign them (art. 157).

Full explanation: PAMA: what to do when Mexican customs seizes your shipment.

What to send in the first message

Four things, as photos or PDFs.

• The acta de inicio, and the date and time you received it.
• The pedimento and the commercial invoice of the shipment.
• Who the importer of record and the customs broker are.
• Where the goods and the vehicle are held today.

What the office does first

A written first review.

The attorney reads the acta, confirms the deadline date, and tells you in writing whether the ground stated by the authority can be contested, whether release under a guarantee is available in your case, and what has to be filed next. The office represents importers, carriers and customs brokers in the proceeding and, if needed, in the appeal or the annulment suit that follows.

No promises are made about outcomes. What you get is a clear position on your case before the deadline, in English or Spanish.