While it's not a crime to have more than $10,000 in cash on you, it is against the law to not report that when you try to enter or leave the United States, a legal nicety that led to the seizure of more than three-quarters of a million dollars earlier this month.
Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection discovered the huge cash cache on July 10 just after 4 p.m. at the Calexico East Port of Entry when a man driving a relatively new pickup was directed to an area for secondary inspection.
Investigators said they used "non-intrusive inspection technology" and other means to go through the 35-year-old's truck, eventually discovering $756,980 hidden in the vehicle's spare tire.
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“This discovery underscores the ongoing efforts of our dedicated CBP officers to enforce federal regulations and prevent illicit activities,” said Roque Caza, port director for the Area Port of Calexico.
A photo of the seized cash shows the interior of the tire, having been sliced open, bursting with bundles of bills sealed up in plastic baggies. Another shot features dozens of individual stacks of $5,000, each 2-3 inches high.
While someone whose cash was seized by the CBP can petition for its return, they have to show they acquired the money legally and intended to spend it that way as well.
