SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Customs and Border Protection officers discovered $44,148 in cash hidden in a car during an inspection at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the agency announced.
On Jan. 8, officers at the San Ysidro border crossing stopped a 27-year-old woman traveling from the U.S. into Mexico and referred her vehicle for a secondary examination.
CBP officials said, “In secondary, a CBP K-9 unit screened the vehicle and alerted officers to examine a white plastic bag containing food items. Upon further inspection of the white plastic bag, officers discovered a brown package that contained a total of $44,148 in unreported currency.”
Officials noted that the cash was seized and a criminal probe into the discovery was launched by Homeland Security Investigations.
“Through diligent enforcement efforts during an outbound operation, our officers successfully intercepted cash proceeds commonly associated with illicit activities that fuel transnational criminal organizations. By disrupting covert operations and preventing criminal organizations access to the financial resources that support their networks, we are committed to ensuring the safety and security of our nation,” said Mariza Marin, the Area Port Director of San Ysidro.
While CBP officials said it is not a crime to carry over $10,000 in currency, it is a federal offense for a person to “not declare currency or monetary instruments totaling $10,000 or more 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 temporary or permanent seizure of the currency and/or arrest.”
According to CBP officials, a person can petition to have the currency returned, but they would have to prove “that the source and intended use of the currency was legitimate.”
