Thread: Officers seize $49,000 cash at Brownsville border crossing

Officers seize nearly $49,000 cash at Brownsville border crossing by CBS 4 Staff Posted: 09.22.2015 at 10:55 AM

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Officers arrested a Mexican man last week, when he attempted to cross the B&M International Bridge without declaring nearly $49,000 cash. Officers with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations arrested Jose Hilario Lopez-Gonzalez on Friday, according to federal court records and an agency news release. Lopez-Gonzalez remains in federal custody and couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday. The Federal Public Defender’s Office in Brownsville declined to comment on the case. Lopez-Gonzalez and another man, Emilio Gonzalez-Sosa, attempted to cross the international bridge in a maroon and gold 1994 Chevrolet C20 van, according to the criminal complaint and the news release. They denied having more than $10,000 cash — a standard question for people crossing the border. Officers referred the van to secondary inspection, where they discovered $48,995 hidden inside the engine’s intake manifold, according to the criminal complaint. “During an interview, Lopez-Gonzalez confessed to knowingly transporting the monies from Mesquite, Texas, back to Matamoros, Tamaulipas,” according to the criminal complaint. “Lopez-Gonzalez was to be paid $1,000 USD for smuggling the money into Mexico.” Federal Magistrate Judge Ronald G. Morgan charged Lopez-Gonzalez with concealing United States currency to evade reporting requirements and attempting to transport the currency from the United States to Mexico. http://www.valleycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=1247407

I wonder what becomes of this money. Hope it doesn't go into some DACA fund. Maybe they should allow agents to keep 10 percent of the cash haul as a reward?

Originally Posted by Captainron

I wonder what becomes of this money. Hope it doesn't go into some DACA fund. Maybe they should allow agents to keep 10 percent of the cash haul as a reward?

The money goes into the federal Fines and Forfeiture Account.
It is used to fund city, county, state and federal law enforcement.
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(The links are old and no longer work. But these are the original quotes.)

. . . Seized currency is turned over to CBP’s Fines, Penalties and Forfeitures division while Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigates to determine if criminal proceedings are warranted.

All seized currency not related to a criminal case will be forward to the Department of Treasury. . .

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/...05312010_2.xml

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-201435-...ml+forfeitures


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Asset Forfeiture Branch
. . .
Equitable Sharing
The ICE Asset Forfeiture Program provides funding to state, local, and foreign law enforcement agencies that participate jointly in ICE investigations which lead to seizures and forfeitures. Through the Department of Treasury's Equitable Sharing Program, ICE provides substantial funds and equipment to state, local, and foreign law enforcement counterparts pursuant to the forfeiture of seized items.
. . .
http://www.ice.gov/about/investigati...setforfeit.htm

ICE shares $29.5 million in forfeited drug money with 12 Texas law enforcement

. . . The funds are divided among the participating agencies as part of HSI's asset-sharing agreement. The rest of the forfeited drug monies are retained for U.S. federal agencies that participated in the investigation, for numerous investigative initiatives. In poetic-justice fashion, the forfeited funds are distributed to local law enforcement agencies to financially support the expensive work of fighting crime and keeping the streets of south Texas safe. . .

http://www.alipac.us/f12/ice-shares-$29-5-million-forfeited-drug-money-12-texas-law-enforcement-251094/