Tag: mexico

Stacks containing $124,052 in unreported currency seized by CBP officers at Eagle Pass Port of Entry.

Texas CBP Seizes $124K cash at Eagle Pass

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on

Texas CBP officers seized $124,000 in Eagle Pass, Texas, on March 20, when a Mexican national traveled with $124,052, apparently hidden in his vehicle.

Although no details are given about how the money was hidden, it is probably a case of classic bulk cash smuggling (watch an explanation of bulk cash smuggling). Here’s CBP’s summary of the incident:

EAGLE PASS, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Eagle Pass Port of Entry recently seized over $124,000 in unreported currency hidden within a vehicle during an outbound examination.

“This seizure reflects the vigilant inspectional [sic] work of our frontline officers and their commitment to our border security mission,” said Port Director Pete Beattie, Eagle Pass Port of Entry. “Undeclared bulk cash seizures like these, often proceeds from illicit activity, have significant impact on those who fail to comply with federal currency reporting requirements, including transnational criminal organizations.”

The seizure occurred on Wednesday, March 20 at the Camino Real International Bridge when a CBP officer referred a southbound vehicle driven by a 48-year-old male Mexican citizen for secondary examination. After initial inspection, CBP officers conducted an intensive secondary examination and discovered a total of $124,052 in unreported currency concealed within the vehicle.

Has Texas CBP seized your bulk cash?

Has Texas CBP seized your bulk cash? If so, we can help. Read our helpful customs money seizure legal guide (or watch the videos) and contact us for a free currency seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.

Stacks of money seized by CBP officers in Pharr, Texas.

Texas CBP seizes $85K in unreported and smuggled money; 1 arrested

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on

Another day, another customs money seizure. This one in particular happened to the U.S.-Mexico border in Pharr, Texas, and actually involved an arrest. CBP officers can arrest anyone for the not reporting, structuring, or smuggling cash, but most often, they do not.

The cash reporting requirement laws in Title 31 of the U.S. Code allow for CBP to choose whether to proceed as a civil matter or criminal matter. For the unlucky 19 year old fellow involved in the what seems to be a bulk cash smuggling offense, he was arrested.

There are no specifics on how the money was hidden within the vehicle, only that it was discovered by a non-intrusive examination. Here’s the story:

PHARR, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry this weekend seized $85,000 in unreported currency hidden within a vehicle during an outbound examination.

“Or officer continue to maintain strict vigilance and that dedication to duty, inspection skill and experience contributed to this significant outbound currency seizure,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry. “These types of seizures, often involving proceeds from illicit activity, have significant impact and reflect CBP’s ongoing commitment to our priority border security mission.”

Stacks containing $85,000 in unreported U.S. currency seized by CBP officers during an outbound examination at Pharr International Bridge.

The seizure occurred on Sunday, April 14 at the Pharr International Bridge when a CBP officer referred a southbound vehicle driven by a 19-year-old male U.S. citizen for a secondary examination. Following a thorough examination that included use of a nonintrusive inspection system, CBP officers discovered a total of $85,000 in unreported currency hidden within the vehicle.

CBP officers seized the currency. Homeland Security Investigations special agents arrested the driver and initiated a criminal investigation.

Has Texas CBP seized your money?

If Texas CBP seized your money at Pharr, Hidalgo, Anzalduas, Laredo, or elsewhere, we urge you to call us for a consultation before considering doing it yourself. You probably will not be happy with the outcome if you do, based on their’ aggressive posture in most cases. Read our trusted customs money seizure legal guide (or watch the videos) and can contact us for a free currency seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.

Bulk cash seized by CBP in Dulles airport

San Diego CBP Money Seizure of $20,155 (yawn)

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on

CBP in San Diego has quite a few ports, including Calexico, Otay Mesa, Cross Border Xpress, San Ysidro, and Tecate. CBP seizes cash from Mexicans and Americans at each of them

In early 2024, CBP officers in San Diego seized $20,155 in currency from someone going into Mexico. This kind of money seizure in San Diego are common. I have had numerous clients over the years traveling to Mexico for cosmetic procedures, to purchase real estate, to buy or sell cars at auction, or many other personal or economic reasons, all with money. So in this case, the seizure of $20,155 in unreported currency by Customs is not a surprise, so much that it almost seems not worth mentioning compared to the other seizures discussed in the story, like 472 pounds of narcotics. Anyway, here is the story from CBP:

SAN DIEGO — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers within the San Diego Field Office worked tirelessly despite severe inclement weather over the weekend seizing $2.4 million worth of narcotics, a weapon and currency.

A combined total of 367 packages were discovered in vehicles over the weekend testing positive for the properties of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Officers extracted narcotics from various locations in vehicles such as the trunk, roof, firewall, air intake box, doors, floorboards, gas tanks, and quarter panels. The narcotics seized by CBP had a combined weight of 472 pounds with an estimated street value of $2,483,780.

Adding to the weekend busts, CBP officers at the San Ysidro port of entry discovered a 9mm handgun, one 33-round extended magazine, 30 9mm rounds of ammunition, and marijuana in a traveler’s purse.

The final incident occurred when CBP officers at the San Ysidro port of entry encountered a vehicle traveling into Mexico. During inspection of the vehicle, CBP officers discovered unreported currency in the amount of $20,155.

Has San Diego CBP seized your money?

If San Diego CBP seized your money at Otay Mesa, Calexico, or elsewhere, we urge you to call us for a consultation before considering doing it yourself. You probably will not be happy with the outcome if you do, based on their’ aggressive posture in most cases. Read our trusted customs money seizure legal guide (or watch the videos) and can contact us for a free currency seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.

Stacks containing $125,306 in unreported U.S. currency seized by CBP officers at Laredo Port of Entry.

CBP Laredo seizes $125K in smuggled cash

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on

Last month, CBP officers in Laredo seized $125,000 in bulk cash smuggled out of the USA into Mexico. The story highlights the consequences of failing to report currency amounts exceeding $10,000 and engaging in bulk cash smuggling, both civil and criminal offenses that can result in currency seizure criminal jeopardy.

Unless as person is involved in other illegal activity (i.e., drug crimes, money laundering, etc) then it’s unlikely the person will face criminal charges for simply carrying or hiding more than $10,000. Most of our (more than 630) clients over the past 14 years have never faced criminal prosecution for their currency reporting violations.

They do, however, usually face a difficult bureaucracy, confusing procedures, differing options, and arbitrary denials quite regularly. We specialize in navigating this complex terrain and providing assistance. But first, let’s delve into the details of this recent seizure publicized by CBP:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Gateway to the Americas Bridge recently seized over $125,000 in unreported currency hidden within a passenger vehicle during an outbound examination.

“It is important to acknowledge the efforts of our CBP officers who continue to maintain law and order,” said Port Director Alberto Flores, Laredo Port of Entry.  “Currency seizures intercepted play a significant role in reinforcing border security and safeguarding communities from the threat of illicit activities.”

The seizure occurred on Monday, November 20 at the Gateway to the Americas Bridge when a CBP officer conducting outbound examinations selected a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu driven by a 36-year-old male U.S. citizen for examination. After initial inspection, CBP officers conducted an intensive physical examination and discovered a total of $125,306 in unreported currency hidden within the vehicle.

CBP officers seized the currency. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents arrested the driver and initiated a criminal investigation.

Have you had cash seized by CBP in Laredo?

If you’ve had cash seized CBP in Laredo, you can learn more about the process from our trusted customs money seizure legal guide and can contact us for a free currency seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.

Stacks of cash totaling $96,800 in unreported currency seized by CBP officers at Hidalgo International Bridge in Texas

CBP seizes $96K in cash at Hidalgo Bridge

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on

The latest press release from CBP deals with a cash seizure for, among other things, bulk cash smuggling and a failure to report cash on FinCen 105 form, at the Texas-Mexico southern border. The full story is available here.

In this story, we continue to see the government’s odd fixation with reporting the details of vehicle the individual was driving — here, a maroon Chevrolet SUV. Enjoy!:

HIDALGO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Hidalgo International Bridge intercepted $96,800 in undeclared currency from a traveler heading to Mexico.

“CBP officers conduct outbound enforcement operations to protect against unreported exportations of bulk U.S. currency, which can often be proceeds from alleged illicit activity, or currency that funds transnational criminal organizations,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry.

On May 2, 2023, CBP officers conducting outbound enforcement operations at the Hidalgo International Bridge encountered a maroon Chevrolet SUV, driven by a 42-year-old male Mexican citizen traveling southbound to Mexico. A CBP officer referred the vehicle for further inspection. After physically inspecting the vehicle, officers discovered seven bundles of currency totaling $96,800 in various denominations concealed within a hidden compartment in the vehicle.

CBP OFO seized the currency and vehicle. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested the driver and initiated a criminal investigation.

Have you had cash seized by CBP in Texas?

If you’ve had cash seized CBP in Texas, you can learn more about the process from our trusted customs money seizure legal guide and can contact us for a free currency seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.

Stacks totaling $198,902 in unreported cash seized by CBP in Texas

CBP Seizes $190K Cash at Pharr, Texas, bridge

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on

If you’re going to Mexico with $198,902 and no plans to report it, you should probably take a toothbrush (so you can brush your teeth in jail) and a credit card for when you get out, because you’re going to lose the money and be accused of crimes.

That’s the lesson that should have been learned by this anonymous individual who attempting to take the nearly $200,000 from the United States to Mexico, for unknown reasons (but really, we all know it’s drug related, right?)

This story provides an opportunity to respond to a frequently asked question:

Question: “If I am traveling with money, do I need to bring proof of it being legal money?”

Answer: Generally, no, you don’t. You only need to fill out the FinCen 105 form if you are transporting (or causing to be transported) more than $10,000. But, that’s only going to get you out of a violation of the Currency and Monetary Instrument Reporting laws (Title 31).

If CBP still thinks you’re committing some other crime, like drug trafficking, money laundering, or something else, they can still seize the money (whether you filed a FinCen 105 form or not) because they think you’re doing something else wrong. If you have a criminal or arrest history significant for these types of crimes, the odds of seizure go up dramatically.

But, on to the text of the story from our friends in Pharr, Texas, at CBP:

PHARR, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Pharr International Bridge intercepted $198,902 in undeclared currency from a traveler heading to Mexico.

“CBP officers conduct outbound enforcement operations to protect against unreported exportations of bulk U.S. currency, which often can be proceeds from alleged illicit activity, or currency that funds transnational criminal organizations,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry.

On April 4, 2023, CBP officers conducting outbound enforcement operations at the Pharr International Bridge encountered a white Jeep driving southbound to Mexico. A CBP officer referred the vehicle for further inspection which included screening by a canine team. After physically inspecting the vehicle, officers discovered nine bundles of currency totaling $198,902 in various denominations concealed within the vehicle.

CBP OFO arrested the driver, seized the currency and vehicle, and the case remains under investigation by special agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Have you had cash seized by CBP in Texas?

If you’ve had cash seized CBP in Texas, you can learn more about the process from our trusted customs money seizure legal guide and can contact us for a free currency seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.

Cash Seized by El Paso Texas CBP

CBP Laredo Seizes $91K in Unreported Cash

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on

CBP new’s releases have been lean on stories about money seizures for structuring, bulk cash smuggling, failure to report; the trinity of CMIR (currency and monetary instrument report) cases. These types of asset forfeitures all pertain to the movement of more than $10,000 in cash without filing the necessary FinCen 105 report.

For that reason, I am reaching back in time to some old news releases that I never had a chance to comment on before. In this Laredo story, a 30 year old man and 19 year old woman were heading to Mexico and failure to report $91,116, which was also concealed in their clothing and packages.

That sounds like both a violation of 31 USC 5316 (failure to report more than $10,000 currency) and 31 USC 5332 (bulk cash smuggling). In this case, the they were both arrested! That to me means there was further suspicion on the part of CBP that there was criminal activity beyond the CMIR violations afoot. Here’s the full story:

LAREDO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers working outbound operations seized over $91,000 in undeclared currency in a single enforcement act.

. . .

The enforcement action occurred on Thursday, March 25 at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge, when officers assigned to outbound operations selected a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox traveling to Mexico for inspection. A 30-year-old male United States citizen driver and 19-year-old female passenger were referred for a secondary examination. Upon physical inspection of the drivers’ clothing, packages containing $91,116 in undeclared U.S currency were discovered.

The currency was seized by CBP. Both subjects were arrested, and the case was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents for further investigation.

Individuals are permitted to carry any amount of currency or monetary instruments into or out of the U.S., however, if the quantity is more than $10,000, they will need to report it to CBP.  . . . Failure to declare may result in seizure of the currency and/or arrest.

Has Laredo CBP seized your money?

Has Laredo CBP seized your money? If so, we can help. Read our helpful customs money seizure legal guide (or watch the videos) and contact us for a free currency seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.

Stacks of cash seized by CBP in Laredo

CBP Laredo Seizes $261K in Currency to Mexico

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on

In two recent cases described in a news release below two individuals were arrested not filing a CMIR (FinCen 105 report) upon leaving the USA to Mexico.

The story is light on details — except, for some reason, what car the people were driving (for unknown reasons this is always so important at the Mexican border!).

There is no mention of bulk cash smuggling, though it seems likely the money was hidden and not reported. Even if they are criminally charged, both defendants would have the ability to get the money back provided they show the money has no nexus to illegal activity (legitimate source, legitimate use).

Here’s what CBP says recently happened at the nation’s southern border in Laredo, Texas, as described here:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers working outbound operations at the Juarez Lincoln Bridge, seized over $261,000 in two separate, unrelated incidents.

The first enforcement action occurred on Jan. 24, when officers assigned to outbound operations selected a 2009 Kia Sorento traveling to Mexico for inspection. The vehicle was driven by a 53-year-old female United States citizen. Upon physical inspection of the subject’s personal belongings, packages containing $65,560 in undeclared currency were discovered.

The second enforcement action occurred on Jan. 29, when officers intercepted a 2006 Ford F-150 traveling to Mexico and selected it for inspection. The vehicle was driven by a 34-year-old male Mexican citizen. Upon physical inspection of the subject’s vehicle, packages containing $195,731 in undeclared currency were discovered.

The seizures combined totaled $261,291.

The currency and vehicles were seized by CBP. Both drivers were arrested, and the cases were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents for further investigation.

Has Laredo CBP seized your money?

Has Laredo CBP seized your money? If so, we can help. Read our helpful customs money seizure legal guide (or watch the videos) and contact us for a free currency seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.

$201,585 in Unreported Currency Seized by CBP at Roma stacked in piles

CBP Officers Seize $201,585 in Unreported Currency at the Roma Port of Entry

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on

I’ll give all my readers some free advice: if you have an extra $200,000 lying around, spend it inside the country — don’t take it across the border.

Why?

In today’s presentation of a CBP news release involving the misadventures of smugglers attempting to move cash across the border, we learn about a $201,585 which was seized in November 2020 as it was heading out to Mexico. Here’s the full story:

ROMA, Texas —U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Roma Port of Entry recently seized more than $200,000 in unreported currency concealed in a vehicle during an outbound examination.

“Our CBP officers are dedicated to stopping the movement of illegal contraband and unreported currency from coming in and out of ports of entry. Even in challenging times, it is clear that our officers are truly dedicated in carrying out their mission. Their hard work and expertise never goes unnoticed,” said Port Director Andres Guerra, Roma Port of Entry.

The seizure occurred on Wednesday, November 11, 2020 when CBP officers referred a 2013 Chevrolet 1500 for a secondary inspection.  With the utilization of a non-intrusive imaging system, CBP officers discovered $201,585 concealed within the vehicle.

CBP officers seized the currency. The case was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) for further investigation.

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.

Has Texas CBP seized your cash?

If Texas CBP seized your cash, we urge you to call us for a consultation before considering doing it yourself. You probably will not be happy with the outcome if you do, based on their’ aggressive posture in most cases. Read our trusted customs money seizure legal guide (or watch the videos) and can contact us for a free currency seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.

Bags of Money Seized by Texas CBP

CBP Texas Seizes $838,481 at Roma Texas

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on

CBP officers in Texas prevented the attempted export of NEARLY ONE MILLION dollars in cash to Mexico, late last year. The money was driven in a vehicle by a U.S. citizen, and the money was concealed in the car. The story does not state that the driver was arrested, although it would be difficult to believe he was not.

ROMA, Texas —U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers Roma Port of Entry recently seized more than $838,000 in unreported currency concealed in a vehicle during an outbound examination.

The seizure occurred on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 when CBP officers referred a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado occupied by a male U.S. citizen for a secondary inspection.  With the utilization of a non-intrusive imaging system, CBP officers discovered $838,481 concealed within the vehicle.

CBP officers seized the currency. The case was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents for further investigation.

Has Texas CBP seized your money?

Has Texas CBP seized your money? If so, we can help. Read our helpful customs money seizure legal guide (or watch the videos) and contact us for a free currency seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.