MIAMI — Most people find loose change in their cushions, and if they're lucky maybe a dollar bill or two, but that's not what U.S. Custom and Border Patrol officers came across on Sept. 3.
Instead they found nearly half a million dollars bundled up and posing as filling for a chair cushion. The cash was found by officers at Miami International Airport, according to a release.
Officers say the smuggled funds were headed for the Dominican Republic when it was selected for examination.
The $491,280 of unreported U.S. currency was concealed in the chair cushion that was inside a larger crate containing furniture, according to a release.
The U.S. Custom and Border Patrol says failure to claim money in excess of $10,000 being exported from the United States is a violation of the currency reporting requirements. Consequences include seizure and forfeiture of most or all currency and potential criminal charges.
“Criminal organizations will attempt to export large sums of cash to launder their ill-gotten gains,” said Robert Del Toro, CBP’s Acting Port Director at Miami International Airport. “This is a significant seizure and represents the impact we can make on criminal’s profits and was the direct result of our officer’s vigilance and watchfulness.”
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