Thread: Feds Seize $40 Mil. Cash, 600 Guns @ Border in 7 months

Federal Agents Seize $40 Mil From U.S./Mexico Border

Miri Marshall-Weekend Anchor/Weathercaster/News Reporter
Posted: 8:13 pm MST November 6, 2009
Updated: 9:53 pm MST November 6, 2009

EL PASO, Texas -- Federal agents said they have seized $40 million in unclaimed cash and nearly 600 weapons from people trying to take it into Mexico. The money is nearly 50 percent more than what agents collected last fiscal year.

"The normal route is, you know, drugs coming in, money and guns going out," said U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Roger Maier.

The cash and weapons seizures took place along the Southwest U.S. Mexico border from March to September. Maier said three federal agencies worked together in an enhanced emphasis placed on searching vehicles leaving the country that may be smuggling unreported currency or weapons.

"The results have been positive to this point for Customs and Border Protection, ICE and ATF," Maier said.

The efforts have also paid off in El Paso where CBP officers seized more than $1 million unreported money in September.

But where does the money go?

"Those funds generally go into the U.S. Treasury Department forfeiture fund and then it's put back into law enforcement for various purposes."

KFOX reporter Miri Marshall called U.S. Treasury to find out exactly where officials send the money that is confiscated. Marshall spoke with someone in the office, but was not able to get the specific information in time for this story.

It is not illegal to bring a large amount of money in cash over the border.

However, "they need to report that to Customs and Border Protection," Maier said.

A red flag usually goes off when someone tries to cross the border with $10,000 or more in cash or in some cases, checks and money orders.

Federal law states that if you transport or attempt to transport money exceeding $10,000 from the U.S. into or from a foreign country you must file a report with U.S. Custom and Border Protection.

This goes for money, traveler checks in any form, checks, promissory notes and money orders that are in bearer form, endorsed without restriction, made out ot a fictitious payee or otherwise in a form that can be transferred to another person.

by KFOXTV.com .

http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/21546916/detail.html

But where does the money go?

"Those funds generally go into the U.S. Treasury Department forfeiture fund and then it's put back into law enforcement for various purposes."

That's good to know.

The cash and weapons seizures took place along the Southwest U.S. Mexico border from March to September.

That's only 7 months of outbound inspections.

Here are some of the recent outbound seizures.



CBP Seizes Nearly $3 Million Hidden in Bus Bound for Mexico - CBP.gov
(Friday, March 20, 2009)
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... arch_2009/ 03202009_5.xml - 36.5KB

Duffel Bag Stuffed with Half Million in Cash Seized Leaving U.S. near San Diego - CBP.gov
(Saturday, September 12, 2009)
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... mber_2009/ 09122009.xml - 36.6KB
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$106,689 in Undeclared Cash Seized at Lukeville Port of Entry - CBP.gov
(Tuesday, September 08, 2009)
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... mber_2009/ 09062009_2.xml - 34.2KB
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CBP Seizes $268,000 in Undeclared Cash Crossing into Mexico - CBP.gov
(Friday, July 10, 2009)
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... july_2009/ 07102009_3.xml - 37.4KB
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CBP in San Diego Seizes $90,000 in Cash Leaving Country - CBP.gov
(Wednesday, September 09, 2009)
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... mber_2009/ 09092009_8.xml - 35.0KB
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Houston CBP Seizes Nearly $180K in Undeclared Cash - CBP.gov
(Monday, June 15, 2009)
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... june_2009/ 06152009_7.xml - 36.2KB
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Border Patrol Seizes Undeclared Cash in Southeast California - CBP.gov
(Monday, July 27, 2009)
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... july_2009/ 07272009_2.xml - 33.9KB
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Border Patrol Agents Seize $1.6 Million in Cash - CBP.gov
(Wednesday, October 14, 2009)
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... 142009.xml - 33.7KB
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Border Patrol Seizes Cash, Drugs, Weapons in Southeast California - CBP.gov
(Wednesday, July 22, 2009)
Blythe, Calif. – U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Blythe, Calif. station arrested four ...
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... july_2009/ 07222009_2.xml - 34.8KB
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Border Patrol Agents Seize Unreported Cash - CBP.gov
(Tuesday, June 30, 2009) contacts for this news release Blythe, Calif. – Quick-witted U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Blythe Station seized more than $12,000 in ...
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... june_2009/ 06302009_2.xml - 34.1KB

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CBP.gov
CBP Seizes $33,885 in Undeclared Cash at North Dakota Border (Friday, August 14, 2009)
Portal, N.D. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized a total of $33,885 from two ...
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... gust_2009/ 08142009_3.xml - 34.2KB
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CBP.gov
CBP Cashes in on Outbound Currency Inspections Officers Seize $138,000; Traveler Arrested (Wednesday, June 10, 2009)
Sterling, Va. – Customs and Border Protection officers seized ...
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... june_2009/ 06102009_2.xml - 39.6KB
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CBP Officers in Pharr Seize $500K During Outbound Enforcement Operation - CBP.gov
(Thursday, April 23, 2009)
Pharr, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and Border Patrol agents ...
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... pril_2009/ 04232009_5.xml - 36.2KB
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CBP Rings in the New Year with Warrants and Cash - CBP.gov
(Friday, January 02, 2009)
Detroit – U.S. Customs and Border Protection Field Operations officers were kept busy on New Year’s Day ...
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... uary_2009/ 01022009_7.xml - 35.0KB
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U.S. Customs Agents Seize Cocaine, Cash in Six Month Investigation - CBP.gov
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA-A multi-agency taskforce led by U.S. Customs Service special agents last night culminated a six month cocaine smuggling investigation with the execution of warrants resulting in the seizure of over ...
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... es/legacy/ 2002/62002/06152002.xml - 34.6KB
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Border Patrol Seizes Nearly $400K during Traffic Stop - CBP.gov
(Tuesday, April 28, 2009) San Clemente, Calif. - Border Patrol agents seized a large sum of money suspected to be connected to ...
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... pril_2009/ 04282009_5.xml - 35.6KB
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Border Patrol Seizes Nearly $27,000 During Calif. Vehicle Stop - CBP.gov
(Friday, September 18, 2009)
Blythe, Calif. – U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Blythe, Calif. station seized nearly $ ...
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... mber_2009/ 09182009_5.xml - 34.1KB

In September, ICE worked closely with law enforcement partners in Colombia and Mexico to uncover more than $41 million smuggled in shipping containers bound for Colombia.

And in July, an ICE-led multilateral operation targeting cash couriers seized more than $3.5 million and detected an additional $4.2 million in undeclared currency at ports of entry around the globe.

http://www.dhs.gov/journal/leadership/2 ... -cash.html

RELATED

US Nabs Millions of $$s in 83-Nation Cash-Smuggling Sting

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-177520.html

They just started the Outbound Inspections this year and got $40 million in 7 months.

It will good to see what they can get in the next 12 months.

Looks like the illegal drug trade is alive and well. Imagine what was not caught? Now if they would just spend as much time and effort on stopping what comes into this country.

Originally Posted by bigtex

Looks like the illegal drug trade is alive and well. Imagine what was not caught? Now if they would just spend as much time and effort on stopping what comes into this country.

They do.

See:

I.C.E. News Releases October 2009

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-176615.html

CBP News Releases Oct. 2009

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-176616.html

U.S. Border Patrol Weekly Blotter: November 4, 2009

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-177033.html

I am afraid this is just the tip of the iceberg. Nothing has changed here in Houston. More drugs, more deaths from drug deals and more illegals. Somehow I think the Nobama administration is flooding our news sources with propaganda.