Several years ago a forfeiture was overturned on a very long appeal process filed by the man who lost his money:

An Iranian businessman owned a chain of independent gas stations in Southern California. He decided to repatriate profits of something like a million in US currency by taking it with him on a flight back home.

No paperwork. The entire amount was confiscated and he was fined something like $1,000 because that was the penalty for not declaring it. Turns out the money was 100% legit and taxes paid.

Appeal decision he eventually won said the forfeiture was disproportionate to the penalty. Minus his legal costs and the fine, and after several years of a legal fight with the govt, the man got the forfeiture returned.

The people in these latest cases lost a lot of cash, but probably not nearly enough for a lengthy legal flight to get it back -- and that's assuming the money is legitimate. Sad.