Border Patrol Seizes Quarter Million in Undeclared Currency during Vehicle Stop

January 11, 2010: U.S. Border Patrol agents seized a Dodge pickup truck and more than $270,000 in cash during a vehicle stop last Monday near Blythe, Calif. At about 3:30 a.m., Border Patrol agents assigned to the Blythe Station stopped a Dodge pickup truck on Interstate 10. Prior to stopping the vehicle, agents ran registration checks on the vehicle’s license plate, but the plate was registered to a Suzuki sport utility vehicle.

During the stop, agents determined that both the driver and passenger were Mexican citizens illegally present in the United States. The agents transported the Dodge pickup and the two illegal aliens to the Blythe Border Patrol Station for processing.

While at the station, agents were performing an inventory of the vehicle’s contents when they discovered several bundles of cash inside a tarp hidden in the bed of the truck.

Agents uncovered 31 bundles containing $276,000 in cash. Agents transported the money to the San Luis, Ariz. Port of Entry where it will be held while it is being processed for seizure. The driver and passenger were processed for removal.

During fiscal year 2009, Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents seized $460,508 in U.S. currency. Since October 1, 2009, Yuma Sector has seized $547,942, already surpassing currency seizures from the previous fiscal year.