Supreme Court of the United States

United States v. Flores-Montano

March 30, 2004541 U.S. 149

Summary

The Court held that reasonable suspicion is not required for customs officials to remove and search a vehicle's gas tank at the international border. It found such suspicionless border inspections are justified by the government's paramount interest in protecting its territorial integrity. Justice Breyer, concurring, noted that administrative tracking of searches helps mitigate abuse concerns.