Customs officers confiscated about $21,000 from a couple coming to the United States from Nigeria in early June. The cash seizure took place in Baltimore, at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.Â
The story points out the potential criminal consequences of not reporting money, and also incorrectly states the law (again, saying “$10,000 or more” rather than “more than $10,000” as the requirement for reporting cash to CBP on FinCen 105).
The story, originally published here by CBP, is below:Â
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized nearly $21,000 of unreported currency Friday at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).
A Nigerian couple, who arrived on a flight from London, reported to CBP officers that they possessed $15,000 in currency. Officers discovered an additional $5,850 in the woman’s purse. Officers seized $20,850 and then released $4,990 to the couple as humanitarian relief. Officers released the couple to continue their visit.
It is perfectly legal to carry large sums of currency in or out of the United States. However, federal law requires that travelers who possess $10,000 or more [ugh! it’s more than $10,000] in currency or other monetary instruments must report it all to a CBP officer at the airport, seaport, or land border crossing when entering or leaving the country.
“Customs and Border Protection officers are highly trained to uncover illicit activity and they are committed to enforcing the laws of the United States,” said Casey Durst, CBP’s Field Operations Director in Baltimore. “Unreported currency often can be proceeds from alleged illicit activity, or used to fund transnational criminal organizations and I commend our officers on this interception”.
CBP recently issued travel tips for international travel through BWI. Chiefly among those tips is for travelers to truthfully report all currency they possess to a CBP officer during inspection.
Consequences for violating U.S. currency reporting laws are severe; penalties may include seizure of most or all of the traveler’s currency, and potential criminal charges.
CBP uses a variety of techniques to intercept narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, and other illicit products, and to assure that global tourism remains safe and strong. On a typical day, CBP seizes an average of about $290,000 in unreported or illicit currency along our nation’s borders. Learn more about what CBP accomplishes during “A Typical Day.“