Step.- Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Bridge of the Americas and Paso del Norte border crossings seized a combined total of $320,841 in unreported U.S. currency in two separate incidents.
“There is no limit to the amount of currency or other monetary instruments that travelers can bring into or take out of the United States and if it is more than $10,000 it must be reported,” said CBP El Paso Port Director Ray Provencio. “However, it is a federal crime to conceal monetary instruments with the intent to evade reporting requirements.”
The first interception occurred on April 11 at the Puente de las Américas border crossing. CBP officers conducting exit control operations selected a vehicle driven by a 23-year-old US citizen for routine inspection. During a secondary inspection with the aid of a CBP currency detector canine, CBP officers located several packages hidden inside the vehicle. The packages contained a total of $89,148 in undeclared currency.
The second interception occurred on April 13 at the Paso Del Norte border crossing. CBP officers encountered a 24-year-old United States citizen who arrived from Mexico through the vehicle lanes. Upon a primary inspection of the vehicle, CBP officers located several concealed packages in the trunk area. Additional search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of $231,693 in unreported currency.
CBP officers seized the money along with the vehicles and both individuals were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.
