LAREDO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized $988,550 in unreported currency hidden in a car at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge in Laredo, a news release said.
The seizure happened Friday, when a CBP officer conducting outbound examinations selected a 2010 Nissan Maxima for examination, according to officials.
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After an initial inspection utilizing a non-intrusive imaging systems scan, CBP officers conducted an intensive physical examination and discovered 53 bundles containing the money in the car, officials said.
CBP officers seized the currency and arrested the driver, a 20-year-old woman from the United States, officials said.
While it's not a crime to carry more than $10,000, it is a federal offense not to declare currency or monetary instruments totaling $10,000 or more to a CBP officer upon entry to or exit from the U.S. or to conceal it with intent to evade reporting requirements.
Failure to declare may result in the seizure of the currency and/or arrest.
An individual may petition for the return of currency seized by CBP officers, but the petitioner must prove the source and intended use of the currency was legitimate, the news release said.