DEL RIO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Del Rio Port of Entry seized more than $10,000 in undeclared currency from a U.S. citizen living in Mexico early this week.
Officers discovered a total of $10,436 in U.S. currency in the possession of a passenger.
“Large amounts of currency may be imported and exported with the proper documentation,” said Port Director Alberto D. Perez, Del Rio Port of Entry. “Failure to report international transit of $10,000 or more could mean forfeiture of funds and criminal sanctions.”
Around 5 p.m. Sept. 21, CBP officers at Del Rio International Bridge, inspected a 2000 Volkswagen Jetta as it departed the United States bound for Mexico. During inspection, officers discovered a total of $10,436 in U.S. currency in the possession of a passenger in the vehicle.
The passenger, an 18-year-old male U.S. Citizen residing in Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico, was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for federal prosecution on a charge of 31 U.S. Code § 5332 - bulk cash smuggling into or out of the United States.
The Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within U.S. Customs and Border Protection tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation’s ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.
CBP’s Del Rio Port of Entry is part of the Joint Task Force-West South Texas Corridor, which leverages federal, state and local resources to combat transnational criminal organizations.