Border security on high alert nabbed a sizeable sum of dollars last week. In a report by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, officers at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge made a significant seizure of $78,040 in unreported U.S. currency. This haul didn't come from tourists who forgot to declare their vacation funds—it's suspected to be tied to criminal activities.
The discovery went down on May 30, when a 31-year-old Mexican citizen tried to drive his 2018 BMW across the border. CBP officers, ever vigilant, selected this vehicle for what probably seemed to be just a routine inspection. It wasn't. The officers opted to deep-dive the car in secondary inspection, and that's precisely where they found the undeclared cash stash. The currency, which was supposed to be reported, was hidden well inside the vehicle.
"Our CBP officers continue to secure our borders, and their vigilance led to this significant currency seizure," said Tater Ortiz, Brownsville Port of Entry Port Director, in a statement to CBP. Seizures like these are not accidental—they help stop criminals by cutting off their money. Every dollar taken is money criminals can’t use for illegal activities.
After finding the money, CBP officers seized both the cash and the BMW, and didn't stop there—they had the driver arrested. He was then turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations special agents to see just what his story was. It's worth noting that it's not a crime to carry a lotta cash over borders. You just gotta declare it if it's more than $10,000. If you try to sneak it past the CBP officers, well, then you're looking at the serious possibility of arrest and seizure of your cash.
