This week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized a large amount of cash from commercial vehicles at a checkpoint in Detroit.
The first and largest cash seizure occurred early Tuesday morning near the Ambassador Bridge port of entry.
According to a CBP news release, “the cash was discovered by officers during a series of outbound commercial vehicle inspections” conducted on vehicles leaving the U.S.
Officers seized $200,000 in undeclared U.S. currency due to failure to report. The driver was released from custody without further incident.
Hours later, CBP seized $28,000 in undeclared cash from an outbound commercial conveyance at the same location.
The cases have been turned over to Homeland Security Investigations.
Travelers arriving to and departing from the United States with currency or monetary instruments in a combined amount of more than $10,000 are required to file a Report of International Transportation of Currency or Monetary Instruments, according to CBP.
CBP says that individuals may petition to have seized cash returned, but they must be able to prove the source of the currency and that the intended use of the money was legitimate.
“There is no limit to the amount of money that travelers may carry when crossing U.S. borders, but reporting is required under the Currency and Foreign Transaction Reporting Act,” said Port Director Devin Chamberlain. “Failure to comply can result in civil and criminal penalties and may lead to loss of undeclared monetary instruments.”