Thread: Duffel Bag Stuffed with Half Million in Cash Seized

C.B.P. News Release

Duffel Bag Stuffed with Half Million in Cash Seized Leaving U.S. near San Diego

(Saturday, September 12, 2009)

San Diego — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and agents early this morning confiscated almost $500,000 of undeclared money stuffed in a duffel bag on its way out of the country into Mexico while conducting southbound operations at the Otay Mesa border crossing.

At about 2:30 a.m. CBP officers and Border Patrol agents conducting southbound inspections along the SR-905 south encountered a 1998 Chevrolet

Astrovan driven by a 30-year-old Mexican man. In the vehicle was the driver’s 24-year-old brother, also a Mexican citizen.

During the course of the inspection, CBP officers found $499,620 stuffed inside a duffel bag commingled with other merchandise in the van. Officers found an additional 1,291 in the wallets and pockets of the two men. A total of $500,911 was discovered and seized.

Both the driver and passenger were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and charged with felony bulk cash smuggling and failure to declare. The men are expected to be arraigned in federal court early next week.

It is a federal offense not to declare currency or monetary instruments totaling more than $10,000 to a CBP officer upon entry or exit from the U.S. or to conceal it with intent to evade reporting requirements. Failure to declare may result in seizure of the currency and/or arrest.

"The watchfulness of CBP of people and vehicles leaving the country takes away the ill gotten gain of drug cartels, removes the weapons used in the drug wars, and keeps dangerous persons from fleeing justice," said Paul Morris, director of Field Operations in San Diego. “We will continue to be vigilant to combat criminal organizations.â€

1/2 million Keep Up The Good Work!

Probably acorn tarp money

With bust like this Outbound Inspections pay for themselves and even make a profit.