CBP: Man tried to smuggle $610K in truck tires

May 22, 2012 1:48 PM
By MADELINE BUCKLEY/The Brownsville Herald

A man appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Brownsville today after Customs and Border Protection officers said they found more than $600,000 concealed in his truck's tires.

Domingo Quezada-Hernandez is facing cash smuggling charges stemming from a CBP search.

Officers stopped Quezada-Hernandez Monday as he left the United States to cross into Mexico at the Gateway International Bridge, according to a criminal complaint.

Though he declared no weapons, ammunition or currency exceeding $10,000, officers said he and two companions appeared nervous.

The officers inspected the Ford pickup and saw fresh markings on a spare tire, the complaint states.

An X-Ray machine revealed anomalies in the tire, according to the complaint.

After a search, the officers discovered 49 bundles of cash containing $610,050 duct-taped inside the tire.

The judge remanded Quezada-Hernandez into federal custody and set a preliminary hearing for Friday.

Man tried to smuggle $610K in truck tires | officers, hernandez, quezada - CBP - Brownsville Herald