Thread: CBP Officers Find Currency Strapped to Southbound Pedestrian

CBP Officers in Texas Find Currency Strapped to Southbound Pedestrian

(Friday, April 03, 2009)

Hidalgo, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working outbound enforcement operations at the Hidalgo/Reynosa International Bridge seized close to $148,000 found strapped to the body of a female pedestrian traveling south to enter Mexico.

On March 31, at 5:15 p.m., CBP officers and Border Patrol agents working outbound enforcement operations at the Hidalgo/Reynosa International Bridge came in contact with a female pedestrian who was traveling south to enter Mexico. After routine questioning, the female was referred to secondary for an intensive examination. While in secondary, “Grill, a passive currency and firearms detector dog, alerted officers to the presence of currency odors emanating from the female’s body.

Close to $148,000 is found strapped to a female pedestrian's abdomen leaving the U.S.

Officers conducted a personal patdown search of the female and found one large bundle of undeclared U.S. bulk currency strapped to her abdomen area. The southbound traveler identified as Isabel Ortega Garcia, a Mexican citizen, age 63 from Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico was arrested on U.S. bulk cash smuggling charges.

After her arrest, Ortega Garcia was transferred to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents who continue to investigate this currency seizure. CBP officers seized the currency.

Michael R. DeBruhl, CBP acting port director, Hidalgo/Pharr said, “After K9 Grill’s alert, our officers focused their attention to the 63-year-old female pedestrian and found U.S. currency hidden on her body.â€

I suppose we'll soon be hearing whines that the dog was racial profiling?