$658K seized in backpacks at U.S. border

Last Updated: Thursday, December 16, 2010 | 9:36 PM PT
CBC News

Two men who allegedly walked across the border from Canada wearing backpacks stuffed with more than $658,000 Cdn are in custody in Washington, the U.S. Border Patrol said Thursday.

The men, both citizens of Mexico, were carrying U.S. and Canadian currency sealed in plastic bags when they were intercepted at about 10:30 p.m. PT Wednesday, the border patrol said in a news release.

Agents believe the two men had just walked across the boundary near the border community of Blaine, about 25 kilometres south of Vancouver.

The bills they carried were in a variety of denominations $100 and smaller, the border patrol said.

The plastic bags contained a total of $296,185 in U.S. currency (about $297,843 Cdn) and $360,760 in Canadian currency, the release said. The total comes to about 658,603 Cdn.

The men have been transported to Seattle, where they will face a variety of criminal charges, the release said.

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