United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized more than a million dollars in undeclared currency hidden in two wooden tables transported in a van on a ferry to Santo Domingo, the Dominican capital.
CBP’s Deputy Director of Field Operations for Border Security in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Roberto Vaquero, reported via a statement on Tuesday that the transport of currency or monetary instruments is legal, but must be officially communicated.
“Entering or leaving the US in possession of monetary instruments in excess of $ 10,000, a report must be submitted. Coins concealment may indicate that the coin is the product of illegal activityVaquero detailed.
On April 19, during an exit check authorized by federal law, a CBP smuggling team selected a 1989 silver Ford F800 van.
A dog warned of an odor it must detect, so CBP officers proceeded to unload the cargo into the truck.
The dog was again warned about two boxes labeled ‘dining table’.
CBP officials found cash worth $ 1,000,100.
Last September, CBP agents found $ 27 million in boxes bound for Saint Thomas Island.
The statement emphasizes that there is no limit to the amount of currency travelers can import or export, but federal law nevertheless requires travelers to report to CBP when amounts exceed $ 10,000 or the foreign currency equivalent.
If the amount is 10,000 or more, this must be formally reported to CBP, as failure to do so could result in seizure of the coin and arrest of the offender.
The CBP’s mission is to protect the borders of the United States, protecting the public from dangerous people and materials, while strengthening the country’s global economic competitiveness by enabling legitimate trade and travel, the statement concluded.