SAN DIEGO — Not many people have had the opportunity to see what over $1 million in cash looks like, but U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers had that opportunity when they seized it as it was being smuggled into Mexico.
“CBP officers and a canine team successfully stopped the smuggling of the currency during outbound inspections” said Anne Maricich, Acting Director of Field Operations for CBP in San Diego. “This is a demonstration of great police work and dedication to the CBP mission by our officers with the goal of stopping the illicit movement of currency through the border.”
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), on December 9, CBP officers stopped a vehicle during the course of their outbound inspection on the Interstate 5 southbound lanes and subsequently referred it for inspection. A CBP canine team assisted during the inspection and the detector dog alerted to the driver’s side quarter panel of the vehicle.
CBP officers discovered numerous wrapped packages containing undeclared U.S. currency in the quarter panels, under the third row seats and the cargo area of the vehicle.
CBP seized the unreported U.S. currency.