Feds Seize $46K in Cash at Texas Border Crossing to Mexico

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Brownsville, Texas, seized more than $46,000 in undeclared currency at a border crossing to Mexico. The officers also arrested the Mexican man attempting to smuggle the currency out of the country.

CBP officers assigned to the Brownsville-Matamoros International Bridge on October 1 observed a gray 2012 Ford F-150 pickup truck approaching in the outbound lane to Mexico, according to information obtained from CBP officials in South Texas. The officers selected the vehicle for a secondary inspection.

During a visual and physical search of the pickup truck, officers found bundles of U.S. currency. In total, the officers found $46,085 in undeclared currency, officials stated.

The officers seized the vehicle and the currency. They placed the 20-year-old Mexican man under arrest for allegedly attempting to smuggle bulk currency out of the country.

Officials turned the case over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations special agents to pursue an investigation into the failed smuggling attempt.

“CBP officers may conduct inspections before travelers leave the United States. This routine inspection led to this seizure and is a testament to the diligence and sense of duty our officers have when carrying out outbound inspections,” said Port Director Tater Ortiz, Brownsville Port of Entry.

CBP officers working ports of entry around the country seized $93,302,645 in unreported currency during the first 11 months of Fiscal Year 2020, Breitbart Texas’ Jaeson Jones reported. This is up substantially from the totals of each of the previous five years.

During FY 2019, which ended on September 30, 2019, CBP officers seized $68,879,080 in U.S. currency. The FY 2020 seizures represent an increase of 35 percent.

In addition to the record quantities of seized currency, CBP officials in North Dakota recently seized $36,000 in fake U.S. currency, Breitbart Texas reported. Officers found the counterfeit currency inside a commercial tractor-trailer attempting to enter the U.S. from Canada.

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.