When it comes to smuggling cash into Mexico, even Mickey Mouse stuffed animals are fair game.
Last Saturday at the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry in downtown Nogales, U.S. Customs and Border Protection discovered $58,291 in undeclared cash inside the luggage of a 37-year-old woman who was on a bus heading into Mexico, according to a Customs press release.
The money was stuffed in her bags, her clothing and yes, a Mickey Mouse stuffed animal. You can see the picture at left.
The woman, and cash, were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
It was one of three large cash seizures made in the past week in Nogales by Customs and Border Protection officers doing outbound inspections, the press release shows.
On Wednesday, officers found $49,873 in cash and negotiable checks hidden on the bodies of several people inside a Nissan Sentra.
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That same day, officers discovered $100,740 in undeclared cash inside the baggage of three people trying to walk through the Morley pedestrian gate in Nogales, located east of the Dennis Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry. They found the cash inside blankets, bags and inside one of the woman’s boots.
I have a story on outbound cash seizures at the southwest border ports of entry scheduled to run this Sunday, so check it out. They’ve spiked in the past 1 1/2 years as a result of more southbound inspections.
If you don’t know, here’s the rule on leaving the country with currency:
Federal law allows people to take unlimited amount of money out of the country but it requires a person to declare amounts larger than $10,000. Failure to do that is punishable by up to five years, a $250,000 fine, or both. If the non-declaration is in connection with another crime such as drug smuggling or money laundering, or if the person has failed to declare more than $100,000 over one year, it can be punishable up to 10 years, $250,000 fine, or both.
P.S. If you have kids — or you just like watching Mickey Mouse cartoons — you'll get the headline.
