C.B.P. News Release

CBP Officers Find $100K Hidden in Box of Detergent

(Tuesday, July 21, 2009)

Laredo, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Laredo port of entry seized $99,480 in undeclared currency inside a box of detergent soap.

The currency seizure occurred on Monday, July 20. CBP officers and Border Patrol agents working outbound (southbound) inspections seized $99,480 in undeclared currency at the Juarez Lincoln Bridge. A CBP officer referred a 2000 Honda Accord driven by Jorge Alberto Zavala Vega, a 23-year-old Mexican national from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico for a secondary examination.

The driver gave a negative declaration for currency in excess of $10,000, weapons or ammunition. During the inspection of the vehicle, CBP officers noted discrepancies with a box of detergent soap that was in the trunk of the vehicle. CBP canine “Arasâ€