U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers confiscated more than $ 1 million in undeclared currency that was found hidden inside two wooden tables that were being transported inside a van on a ferry bound for Santo Domingo, the Dominican capital.
CBP Deputy Director of Field Operations for Border Security in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, Roberto Vaquero, said in a statement on Tuesday that the transport of currency or monetary instruments is legal, but must be officially communicated.
“When entering or leaving the U.S. in possession of monetary instruments in excess of $ 10,000 a report must be submitted. Currency concealment may be indicative that the currency is the product of illicit activities“Cowboy detailed.
On April 19, during an exit inspection authorized by federal law, a CBP contraband control team selected a 1989 silver Ford F800 cargo van.
A dog alerted about an odor that is being trained to detect, so CBP officers proceeded to unload the cargo inside the truck.
The canine alerted again about two boxes labeled “dining table.”
CBP officials found cash amounting to $ 1,000,100.
Last September, CBP officials found $ 27 million in boxes destined for Saint Thomas Island.
The statement notes that there is no limit to the amount of foreign exchange that travelers can import or export, but that federal law requires travelers to report to CBP when the amounts exceed US $ 10,000. or equivalent foreign currency.
If the amount is 10,000 or more it must be formally reported to CBP, as failure to do so may result in currency confiscation and arrest of the offender.
CBP’s mission is to safeguard U.S. borders, thus protecting the public from dangerous people and materials while improving the nation’s global economic competitiveness by enabling legitimate trade and travel, the statement concluded.