CBP Officers at the Calexico Downtown Port Intercept $475,090 in U.S. Currency Bound for Mexico
- Details
- Created on Tuesday, 16 October 2012 11:30
- Written by Border Scope
Calexico, California - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted $475,090 in undeclared U.S. currency during an outbound enforcement operation at the Calexico downtown port of entry.
The incident occurred at 12:30 p.m. October 11, when officers, conducting outbound inspections, referred a black 2009 Mazda 6 for further examination.
The driver, a 24-year-old male U.S. citizen and resident of San Bernardino, California, gave officers a negative declaration to possessing more than $10,000 in currency or monetary instruments.
The examination included the use of a detector dog which led officers to the discovery of 46 vacuum sealed packages containing U.S. currency concealed inside the vehicle’s gas tank.
CBP officers arrested the driver and seized the money and vehicle.
“This seizure demonstrates the ongoing commitment of our officers to enforcing U.S. laws and stopping the flow of illegal proceeds and weapons from going into Mexico,” said Port Director Billy Whitford.
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.