The creation of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the biggest governmental reorganization since FDR's New Deal in the 1930s. It's much more than what President Nixon did in creating the EPA, ERDA, etc.

U.S. Customs since its creation was a part of the U.S Treasury Department, a Cabinet-level agency. It was part of Treasury because its main mission was to collect duties on imports. Duties are taxes on imports.

When the DHS was created, Customs was moved (in its entirety) from Treasury to the DHS. Many other agencies were just picked up and moved either in whole or in part. I think that the DHS is made up of pieces (and people) from 22 different government agencies. But the Customs laws for imports have not been significantly changed as a result. I suspect that the recent apparent slowing of seizure letters has to do with the reorganization of Customs into the DHS.

(Maybe they needed to wait for the new stationary to arrive.)

Trampy