Can the federal government take all my assets if I am convicted of selling drugs?

Not necessarily. The “No Excessive Fines” clause of the Eighth (8^th) Amendment does prevent the government from requiring asset forfeiture that is “grossly disproportional to the gravity of the offense”. What that means is the amount they can require forfeited must be tied to the allegations against you. As an example, if the government believes you sold $10,000 worth of drugs, then property like a vehicle, as opposed to a house, may be a target of forfeiture. It does not need to be an exact $1-for-$1 situation, however, as stated above it cannot be grossly disproportionate to your offense.