CBP Officers Seize $78K in Unreported Currency at the Matamoros International Bridge

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge Port of Entry seized $78,040 in bulk, unreported U.S. currency.

Stacks containing $78,040 in unreported currency seized by CBP officers at Brownsville Port of Entry

“Our CBP officers continue to secure our borders, and their vigilance led to this significant currency seizure,” said Port Director Tater Ortiz, Brownsville Port of Entry. “Outbound bulk cash seizures like these, often proceeds from illicit activity, help to further disrupt criminal enterprises by depriving them of their economic resources.”

The seizure took place on Friday, May 30, when CBP officers working at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge encountered a 31-year-old male Mexican citizen driving a 2018 BMW which was selected for a routine outbound inspection. In secondary, CBP officers discovered bulk U.S. currency totaling $78,040 hidden within the vehicle.

CBP officers seized the currency along with the vehicle, arrested the driver, and turned him over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations special agents for further investigation.

It is not a crime to carry more than $10,000, but it is a federal offense not to 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 seizure of the currency and/or arrest. An individual may petition for the return of currency seized by CBP officers, but the petitioner must prove that the source and intended use of the currency was legitimate.