Last Friday, two male Mexican nationals were arrested Thursday for attempting to smuggle $376,510 in unreported U.S. currency into Mexico through the Dennis DeConcini Port.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and U.S. Border Patrol agents conducting outbound inspections selected a Ford truck driven by a 58-year-old Caborca, Sonora, Mexico, man for further inspection. During the search of the truck, which was loaded with items the man said he purchased at a swap meet, officers found a box supposedly containing lawn furniture. The box actually contained seven packages of unreported U.S. currency totaling $348,840. The vehicle and cash were seized.
Officers and agents conducting outbound inspections referred a Ford truck driven by a 25-year-old, Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, man for further inspection. During the search a zip-lock bag, a fast-food sack and a brownie mix box were discovered concealing unreported U.S. currency totaling $27,670.
In both incidents, the currency and vehicles were seized. Both men were arrested and now face state charges for bulk cash smuggling.