U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers conducting ferry outbound operations at the Pan American Dock and working jointly with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), seized $844,000 hidden inside a consignment of 16 smart televisions, CPB announced Wednesday.
“CBP officers conduct outbound examinations of passengers and cargo leaving the country in an effort to stop guns, ammunition and unreported currency from being smuggled out of the country,” said Edwin Cruz, San Juan Area port director. “The unreported cash that we seize has an impact on the criminal organizations by making it more difficult for them to further their illicit activities.”
On Mar. 9, CBP officers selected a Ford F-800 truck, with Puerto Rico license plates, for an intensive examination after a preliminary non-intrusive inspection revealed certain anomalies.
The CBP officers off loaded the cargo and scanned each TV box individually. When opened, bundles containing US currency appeared.
CBP officers seized the currency and detained the driver.
Travelers can carry any amount of currency or monetary instruments into or out of the U.S. However, if the quantity is $10,000 or higher, they must formally report the currency to CBP. Failure to report may result in seizure of the currency and/or arrest.
While anti-terrorism is the primary mission of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the inspection process at the ports of entry associated with this mission results in impressive numbers of enforcement actions in all categories.
Tags: puerto rico, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
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