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EAGLE PASS, TEXAS –
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and agents at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry seized $333,000 in unreported currency from a vehicle driven by a local man in a routine examination.
The currency seizure occurred on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012, at Eagle Pass Bridge I. CBP officers and agents and Maverick County sheriff’s deputies were conducting outbound examinations when a CBP officer referred a 2009 Lincoln MKS driven by a 67-year-old U.S. citizen from Eagle Pass for a secondary examination. CBP officers and agents conducted an intensive examination and discovered 18 bundles containing a total of $333,234 in unreported currency hidden within the vehicle’s undercarriage and dash.
CBP officers seized the currency, vehicle and turned the driver over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents for further investigation.
“This is a significant amount of currency seized in the outbound environment and it reflects the force multiplier effect of CBP officers, Border Patrol agents and local sheriff’s deputies working together,” said Cynthia O. Rodriguez, CBP Port Director, Eagle Pass.
Individuals are permitted to carry any amount of currency or monetary instruments into or out of the U.S. However, if the quantity is $10,000 or higher, they must formally report the currency to CBP. 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.
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