Oroville, Wash. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Oroville port of entry arrested a 48-year-old Oliver, British Columbia, woman for allegedly smuggling currency into the United States.
Marina Cantarero-Cruz was taken into custody on July 14 after CBP officers discovered a non-factory compartment in the rear of her 2004 Acura MDX which contained currency totaling $132,980 U.S. dollars and $12,200 Canadian dollars.
"It is not a crime to transit monies across the border; it is an offense to conceal it with the intent of circumventing the federal reporting requirements," said Area Port Director Ron Arrigoni. "While our focus is on terrorism prevention and the interdiction of contraband, detecting undeclared financial proceeds is also an important function of CBP's law enforcement mission."
Cantarero-Cruz was turned over to agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) for further investigation.
Federal law requires the declaration of all negotiable monetary instruments in excess of $10,000 when imported into or exported from the United States. Failure to properly report the transportation of monetary instruments may result in seizure and/or arrest.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.