C.B.P. News Release

CBP Seizes $205,900 from Vehicle Bound to Santo Domingo

(Thursday, July 28, 2011)

San Juan, Puerto Rico – U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized $205,913 in U.S. dollars concealed in the roof compartment of a vehicle bound for Santo Domingo over the weekend.

During the x-ray scanning of outbound vehicles bound to board the M/V Chihuahua Star, a Ford E350 was selected for secondary inspection. The driver declared carrying only $4,500 in U.S. dollars. The physical inspection of the vehicle revealed currency concealed on the roof area of the cargo compartment in the vehicle which was removed. A final count of the seized currency including the amount the subject initially declared totaled $205,913.

It is legal to transport any amount of currency or other monetary instruments into or out of the United States. Transporting, attempting to transport, or causing to be transported currency or other monetary instruments in an aggregate amount exceeding $10,000, or its foreign equivalent, at one time from the United States to any foreign country, or into the United States from any foreign country; must be reported to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Reporting is required under the Currency and Foreign Transaction Reporting Act, 31 USC 5311, et seq.; failure to comply can result in civil and criminal penalties and may lead to forfeiture of your monetary instrument(s).


Monetary instruments include:

U.S. or foreign coins and currency;
Traveler checks in any form;
Negotiable instruments (including checks, promissory notes, and money orders) that are either in bearer form, endorsed without restriction, made out to a fictitious payee, or otherÂ*wise in a form that the funds can be transferred to another person;
Incomplete instruments (including checks, promissory notes, and money orders) signed, but with the payee’s name omitted; and
Securities or stock in bearer form or otherwise in a form that the funds can be transferred to another person.

However, the term “monetary instrumentsâ€