$176K Bound for Mexico Seized at Texas Border Crossing

Presidio Port of Entry Customs and Border Protection officers seized nearly $176,000 cash as smugglers attempted to move it to Mexico.

Office of Field Operations officers assigned to the Presidio Port of Entry on Sunday teamed up with Border Patrol agents, Homeland Security Investigations special agents, and the Presidio Police Department to seize a large quantity of U.S. currency found in a vehicle. The bust followed a search of the vehicle after the CBP officer became suspicious of the driver, according to U.S. officials.

Officers working the outbound lanes to Mexico observed a compact sedan approaching for inspection. During an initial interview, the office became suspicious and referred the driver to a secondary inspection station.

A K-9 officer trained to detect currency alerted to the front quarter panels of the small car. The officers conducted a physical search of the vehicle and found 12 bundles U.S. currency hidden in non-factory compartments on the driver and passenger sides of the car.

The officers placed the man under arrest for attempting to exit the United States with undeclared currency in excess of $10,000.

CBP officers counted the currency which totaled $175,935 USD.

“The combined efforts of our CBP officers working together with U.S. Border Patrol agents, Homeland Security Investigations agents and Presidio Police officers in the outbound area creates a force multiplier effect that results in significant seizures,” CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector Mancha said in a written statement. “Every single dollar we stop from being smuggled out of the country makes it harder for criminal organizations to further their illegal activity.”

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.