A couple traveling from Philadelphia International Airport to the Dominican Republic had their trip disrupted after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers discovered nearly $20,000 in undeclared currency on September 25. The discovery was made possible by K9 Nitro, a trained currency detector dog.
Details of the Seizure
According to CBP, the incident occurred during an outbound passenger enforcement operation where K9 Nitro alerted officers to the presence of undeclared cash from two individuals. A 63-year-old woman and a 79-year-old man were preparing to board separate flights to Santo Domingo when they were approached by officers.
Initially, the woman declared that she was carrying $9,000 and the man stated he had $5,000. However, the officers, upon further investigation at the CBP inspection station, noted discrepancies in their claims, as both travelers were found to possess matching luggage. They later admitted to traveling together.
In total, the officers discovered $19,681. For humanitarian reasons, $681 was returned to the couple, while the remaining amount of $19,000 was seized by CBP. Following the seizure, the couple was released without further incident.
CBP Acting Area Port Director Elliott Ortiz commented on the matter, stating, “This couple attempted to evade federal currency reporting laws by structuring their currency and claiming to be traveling separately, but a keen canine and observant officers easily detected the currency and broke their story. Customs and Border Protection urges travelers to truthfully report all currency they possess to a CBP officer during inspection or face severe consequences as these travelers learned.”
Travelers are reminded that federal law requires anyone transporting currency or monetary instruments exceeding $10,000 to report this to CBP. This requirement applies to individuals whether they are traveling for business, sending money abroad, or bringing savings back into the United States. Failure to adhere to this law can result in forfeiture of the funds and potential civil or criminal penalties.
Why It Matters: This incident highlights the importance of compliance with federal currency reporting laws, which are designed to prevent money laundering and other illegal financial activities. Travelers should be aware of these regulations to avoid legal repercussions and potential loss of funds while traveling internationally.
