CBP Officers Seize $625,000 Unreported Currency at the Laredo Port

CBP Officers Seize more than Half a Million in Unreported Currency at the Laredo Port of Entry

Posted on Mar 6, 2014
Special to the Laredo Sun

LAREDO, TX.- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and agents at the Laredo Port of Entry recently seized more than half a million in unreported currency as a result of a single enforcement action that resulted in the arrest of the driver of the vehicle in which the currency was hidden.

“The added enforcement work that CBP officers and agents do in the outbound area, in securing the U.S. borders, helps stop unreported currency from being exported illegally. The stopping of this flow of illegal proceeds is part of the mission of enforcing export rules and regulations,” said Joe Uribe, Acting CBP Port Director, Laredo.

The currency interception occurred on Sunday, March 2, 2014 while CBP officers and Border Patrol agents conducting outbound (southbound) inspections at the Lincoln Juarez international bridge came across a 2008 SEAT Cordoba driven by a 32-year-old Mexican citizen from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

A CBP officer referred the male driver and vehicle for a secondary examination that resulted in the discovery and extraction of 22 bundles containing approximately $625,520.00 in unreported currency concealed within the vehicle.

CBP officers seized the unreported currency, and the vehicle. The driver was arrested by CBP officers and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents for further investigation.

Individuals are permitted to carry any amount of currency or monetary instruments into or out of the U.S.; however, if the quantity is more than $10,000, they will need to report it to CBP. “Money” means monetary instruments and includes U.S. or foreign coins currently in circulation, currency, traveler’s checks in any form, money orders, and negotiable instruments or investment securities in bearer form. Failure to declare may result in seizure of the currency and/or arrest.

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