The seizure was made at approximately 3:40 a.m. while CBP officers and Border Patrol agents were conducting southbound operations at the Stanton Street international bridge. A Border Patrol agent selected a 1996 Ford Ranger for an intensive exam following an interview with the driver.
CBP officers and Border Patrol agents searched the vehicle and a CBP currency and firearms detection canine alerted to a duffle bag in the vehicle. CBP personnel searched the bag and located $6,000 in unreported currency.
CBP officers and Border Patrol agents continued their exam and located four unopened soft drink cans that appeared suspicious. They opened the suspect cans and found bundles of currency rolled-up and concealed within the containers. A total of 1,549 individual bills in U.S. and Mexican currency totaling $151,306 were seized by CBP.
CBP officers arrested the driver, 59-year-old Juan Francisco Dominguez Morales of San Diego, California. He was turned over to ICE special agents for federal prosecution. He was booked into the El Paso County jail without bond. The vehicle was seized by CBP officers.
“The combined efforts of our CBP officers working together with Border Patrol agents in the outbound area creates a force multiplier effect that results in significant seizures,” said Hector Mancha, CBP port director, El Paso. “Every single dollar we stop from being smuggled out of the country makes it harder for criminal organizations to further their illegal activity.”