Was your cash or money seized at the Airport or at the Border

The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agency, operating under the Department of Homeland Security, has a crucial role in keeping the United States safe from terrorists and their weapons. To ensure that this is done effectively, they vigilantly monitor all activities for any sign of behavior similar to that of terrorist networks. Through the enforcement of U.S. laws and regulations, the CBP works to secure our borders and make it more difficult for international criminal organizations to gain a foothold in our country.

The Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, also known as the Bank Secrecy Act, requires that any currency or monetary equivalents over $10,000 be declared to the government prior to entering or leaving the country. Failing to do so can result in cash seizure and additional penalties.

In a report released on February 1, 2013, the CBP detailed their operations in 2012. This included $1.2 billion in seized goods violating intellectual property rights, $100 million in cash seizures from targeted operations, and 4.2 million pounds of narcotics seized.

Examples of cash seizures include a pickup truck exiting the country at the El Paso port of entry, containing $14,159 spread out in several locations throughout the truck, and a pickup truck crossing into Mexico, with $18,775 hidden in the shoes of two passengers in the truck.

The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol plays an integral part in maintaining the security of the United States, vigilantly monitoring activities, enforcing laws and regulations, and seizing cash and goods when necessary to prevent international criminal organizations from infiltrating and expanding within our borders.

The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agency, operating as part of the Department of Homeland Security, is charged with the vital mission of preventing terrorists and their weapons from entering the United States. To fulfill this mission, they are required to monitor all activities for signs of anything that resembles the way that terrorist networks operate, including the movement of large amounts of U.S. currency. By enforcing U.S. laws and regulations and making the movement of large amounts of currency across our borders a highly supervised activity, they are able to make it more difficult for international crime organizations to infiltrate our country and further their criminal activities.

According to the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, otherwise known as the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), the government is charged with establishing a dollar amount to monitor currency movements that could identify potential money laundering, tax evasion, or other criminal activities. Any currency or monetary equivalents over $10,000 needs to be declared prior to entering or leaving the country, and if these funds are not properly declared, severe consequences can result, including cash seizure and possible additional penalties.

In a report that was released on February 1, 2013, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agency detailed their operations summary for fiscal year 2012, including the seizure of $1.2 billion in goods violating intellectual property rights, $100 million in cash seizures from targeted operations, and 4.2 million pounds of narcotics. These seizures were made based on continued enforcement investigations that have uncovered illegal movements of currency or goods, as well as from the lack of proper reporting of the currency movement required with FinCEN Form 105.

The agency recently recapped three examples of cash seizures around the Mexican border in the El Paso, Texas area in a report on their website dated December 18, 2012. In these cases, border patrol officers discovered currency hidden throughout the vehicles, beyond what had been declared to the officers, leading to the seizure of the currency and, in some cases, the vehicles.

By keeping their eyes on large scale movements of currency and enforcing U.S. laws and regulations, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agency is able to make it harder for international crime organizations to infiltrate our country and develop their large networks through moneys brought in through illegal international operations, keeping our borders secure and making these international groups more hesitant to attempt these activities.

The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agency (CBP) revealed in a report released on February 1, 2013 that the total of cash seizures from targeted operations in the fiscal year 2012 amounted to an astounding $100 million. As part of their ongoing enforcement investigations, the CBP intercepted a total of $1.2 billion in goods that violated intellectual property rights and a staggering 4.2 million pounds of narcotics. Such seizures are made due to the lack of proper reporting of currency movement with FinCEN Form 105.

To give a better insight into the magnitude of the cash seizures, the agency recapped three recent incidents around the Mexican border in the El Paso, Texas area in a report on their website dated December 18, 2012. In the first case, a pickup truck exiting the country at the El Paso port of entry contained $14,159 which was immediately seized as the driver had failed to declare the currency. Similarly, the driver of a pickup truck crossing into Mexico had declared $8,000. However, the CBP officers discovered more than $10,000 hidden in the shoes of two of the passengers, and returned $8,000 while seizing the remaining amount. Lastly, the driver of a pickup truck attempting to enter the United States declared under $10,000 in cash, but after searching the truck, the officers uncovered more than $22,000 among the driver and two passengers. The currency and vehicle were consequently seized.

The primary mission of the CBP is to stop and prevent terrorists and their weapons from entering the United States, but their other essential functions include carefully monitoring potential terrorist cell activities and illegal drug networks. As such, the agency’s consistent enforcement and investigations have resulted in the successful seizure of a remarkable amount of cash, goods and narcotics.