C.B.P. News Release

CBP Officers at Laredo Port of Entry Seize Undeclared Outbound Bulk Cash

(Monday, April 05, 2010)

Laredo, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and agents at the Laredo port of entry seized more than $460,000 in undeclared currency from a vehicle as it attempted to make its way to Mexico on Friday evening.

CBP officers and agents were conducting outbound enforcement as part of joint-component operations, when they encountered a 1998 Ford Explorer SUV driven by a 27-year-old Mexican national from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico as he was attempting the exit the U.S. through the Lincoln-Juarez Bridge. CBP officers referred the SUV to secondary for further inspection. This inspection resulted in the discovery of 29 packages of undeclared currency within the vehicle’s fuel tank. The total amount of the currency is $462,240.

The case was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents for further investigation. CBP officers seized the Ford Explorer.

“The teamwork that CBP officers and agents demonstrate during outbound enforcement efforts as a result of the joint operations that continue is what makes the stopping of this bulk cash smuggling attempt so noteworthy. It shows that even on a busy holiday, our officers continually strive to meet the CBP mission,â€