CBP Officers and Border Patrol Agents at Brownsville Port Seize $152,881 in U.S. Currency during Outbound Enforcement Operation

Brownsville, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and Border Patrol agents conducting outbound enforcement operations at the Brownsville port of entry seized $152,881 in bulk U.S. currency.

On Jan. 31, CBP officers and Border Patrol agents working outbound enforcement operations at the Los Indios International Bridge came in contact with a 2000 Ford Expedition as it attempted to exit the United States and enter Mexico. The driver, a 40 year-old Mexican citizen from San Benito, Texas was escorted to secondary for further inspection. In secondary, a search of the Ford resulted in the discovery of 10 packages of bulk U.S. currency hidden within the Expedition. CBP officers and agents removed the 10 packages which held a combined total of $152,881 in bulk U.S. currency.

CBP officers seized the currency the vehicle and the case had been referred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents for further investigation.

“This southbound interception of bulk currency is a direct result of the continuous enforcement operations our officers and agents perform on a daily basis. I commend our team for an outstanding seizure of this concealed undeclared currency,” said Michael Freeman, CBP port director, Brownsville.

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.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.