CBP Officers Find $285,000 in Spare Tire at Douglas Port of Entry

Douglas, Ariz. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped an illegal exportation of currency when officers searched a spare tire and found that it was being used to conceal more than $285,000.

On Aug. 12 at approximately 8:30 p.m., CBP officers were screening traffic going into Mexico as part of a southbound operation. The officers selected a 1995 Chevy S-10 pick-up truck for further inspection. The vehicle was being driven by a 46-year-old man identified as a U.S. citizen and resident of Douglas. Utilizing high-tech equipment, CBP officers discovered that the man was attempting to smuggle more than $285,000 out of the United States by concealing the money in a spare tire and securing it underneath the bed of the pickup he was driving.

CBP officers seized the vehicle and the undeclared currency. The man was turned over to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for further investigation and prosecution.

“This is a significant money seizure,” said George De La Ossa, acting chief supervisor over Outbound Operations at the Douglas Port of Entry. “These types of money seizures represent more than just money lost by the drug trafficking organizations. These revenues are what supply the weapons and the means for these organizations to disrupt governments and pose threats to our nation. Customs and Border Protection remains committed in strengthening our borders.”