CBP officers confiscated $931,000 of unregistered money on US-Mexico bridge

HOUSTON – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge Port of Entry confiscated $931,739 in bulk in unregistered U.S. currency, the agency said on Thursday.

“Our officers use several law enforcement tools when conducting entry and exit checks; their vigilance and attention to detail led to this massive confiscation of the currency,” said Thather Ortiz, Port of Entry Director for Brownsville.

The confiscation occurred on Tuesday when CBP employees working on the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge collided with a 21-year-old US citizen driving a 2013 Chevrolet. The vehicle was selected for a scheduled on-site inspection. While in the secondary screening area, using a non-intrusive screening system and a canine service, CBP officers discovered large cash hidden inside the car. CBP officers seized most of the US currency, totaling $931,739, hidden inside the vehicle.

CBP employees seized the currency along with the car. Special services of the Internal Security Service detained the driver and opened a criminal case.

Carrying more than $10,000 is not a crime, but it is a federal offense to fail to declare currency or monetary instruments totaling $10,000 or more to a CBP officer when entering or leaving the United States, or to conceal them with the intent to evade reporting requirements. The agency noted in its press release about the capture. Failure to declare may result in currency confiscation and/or arrest. An individual may apply for the return of currency seized by CBP officers, but the applicant must prove that the source and intended use of the currency was legal.