STERLING, Va. — A family’s Christmas vacation started off to a bad start that ended with them losing over $68,000.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized $68,216 in unreported money from a family heading to Nigeria at Washington Dulles International Airport.
There is no limit to how much currency travelers may bring to or take out of the United States. However, the law requires travelers to report all currency of $10,000 or greater to a CBP officer.
During inspections of passengers departing on a flight to Cairo, Egypt, officers encountered the family. Officers asked the family how much they had in their possession. The father reported that the family possesses $10,000 and filled out paperwork echoing the same thing.
In a second inspection of the family’s carry-on bags, CBP officers found multiple envelopes with extra money. The envelopes totaled up to $68,216. Officers seized almost everything, leaving the family with just $216 to continue on their journey.
“Seizing a traveler’s currency is a very serious consequence, but one that can easily be avoided just by the traveler truthfully reporting to a Customs and Border Protection officer all of the currency they are taking with them,” said Marc E. Calixte, Area Port Director for CBP’s Area Port of Washington, D.C.
Unreported bulk currency may sometimes be the proceeds of illegal activity, such as financial fraud and money scams. Greed may also cause some travelers to smuggle unreported currency that they may have lawfully obtained to shield it from family or business partners.
CBP officers and agents seized an average of about $217,700 in unreported or illicit currency every day during 2022 along our nation’s borders.