U.S. Citizen Arrested By Border Patrol With Nearly $1 Million Hidden in Her Vehicle

LAREDO, Texas – A 20-year-old American citizen was arrested for failing to declare nearly $1 million in hidden cash as she attempted to cross the border into Mexico.

On Friday, January 25, 2019, the female suspect was stopped in her 2010 Nissan Maxima at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge. The Customs Border Patrol (CBP) officer was conducting outbound examinations of vehicles when he selected the vehicle for examination. Using a non-intrusive imaging system scan, CBP officers found it necessary to conduct an intensive physical examination. During the examination of the vehicle’s interior, 53 bundles of unreported cash totallying $988,550 was located.

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“Our frontline CBP officers continue to maintain resolute vigilance in both the inbound and outbound environments and their attention to detail helped to detect a significant load of unreported currency,” said Port Director Alberto Flores, Laredo Port of Entry. “Large outbound currency seizures like these deny the ability of transnational criminal organizations to profit from alleged illicit activity, impacting them directly.”

Although it is not a crime to carry over $10,000 in cash across the border, it is a federal offense to not declare the cash or monetary instruments totaling more than $10,000. It is also a crime to conceal it with the intent to evade reporting the cash. Failure to declare the cash can result in seizure of the money and possibly arrest. It is possible to request the money back at a later time if the source and intended use of the money can be proven legitimate.

Officers seized the cash and arrested the 20-year-old driver. The case was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents for further investigation.