PHARR, Texas (Border Report) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped a pickup carrying over $65,000 trying to cross into Mexico from the South Texas border town of Pharr.
The truck was stopped Thursday at the Pharr International Bridge as the vehicle attempted to cross into Tamaulipas, Mexico. It was sent to secondary inspection where five bundles of cash totaling $65,948 was found in the truck, CBP officials said Monday.
“Our frontline CBP officers utilized their training and experience along with technology in the outbound environment and prevented a significant amount of unreported currency from going south,” Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port Director Carlos Rodriguez said.
Mexican cartels often rely on weapons and cash from the United States making its way south to fund and support their operations as they send drugs and human cargo north across the border.
“These types of bulk cash seizures, often proceeds from illegal activity, deny transnational criminal organizations the ability to profit from their illicit enterprises and exemplify CBP’s ongoing commitment to our priority border security mission,” Rodriguez said.
It is a federal crime to cross at a U.S. port of entry with more than $10,000 in declared currency or monetary.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
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