September 15, 09

NEWS / Pembina, N.D. CBP Officers Seize $62,123 in Undeclared Currency

Pembina, N.D. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized a total of $62,123 from one individual when he entered the United States at Pembina, N.D., on Friday September 11.


The individual failed to declare all the currency he was carrying to CBP officers when he was seeking admission into the United States. A monetary penalty was assessed by CBP and the remainder of the currency was returned to the subject. Federal law requires that all persons entering or departing the United States must report monetary instruments valued at or above $10,000 to CBP. This includes U.S. or foreign coins currently in circulation, currency, travelers’ checks, money orders and other negotiable instrument or investment securities in bearer form.


“This was an exceptional job by our officers,” said Mary Delaquis, Pembina area port director for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.


It is not a crime to carry more than $10,000, but it is a federal offense not to declare currency or monetary instruments totaling $10,000 or more to a CBP officer upon entry or exit from the U.S. or to conceal it with intent to evade reporting requirements. Failure to declare may result in 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 that the source and intended use of the currency was legitimate.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/09142009_10.xml