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When does a customs breach become the crime of smuggling or customs fraud, and what are the penalties?

According to the cited documentsTaxes

Penalty for principals

7 to 10 years' prison + fine equal to the goods' value

In forceDecreto 58-90

Under the Customs Fraud and Smuggling Act (Decreto 58-90, art. 6) the act is a crime when the customs value of the goods exceeds the equivalent of three thousand Central American pesos ($CA 3,000) or 3 % of the shipment's total FOB value, whichever is lower; below that threshold it is a tax infraction resolved administratively by SAT (undeclared surplus goods follow the National Customs Act instead). Penalties (art. 7, item a as amended by Decreto 20-2006): principals, seven to ten years' prison; accomplices, two to four; accessories, one to two; public officials or customs agents who are accomplices or accessories receive the principal's penalty. In every case a fine equal to the value of the goods and the cancellation of the business licence are added, on top of customs and ordinary sanctions (art. 9: disqualification as an accessory penalty).

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  • Crime threshold (customs value)

    $CA 3,000 or 3 % of the shipment's FOB, whichever is lower

    In forceDecreto 58-90

Sources

  • SAT

    Ley contra la Defraudación y el Contrabando Aduaneros, Decreto 58-90, arts. 6–9

    portal.sat.gob.gtAccessed Sep 2, 2026Go to the source