$46K Seized After Traveler Fails Ro Report Extra Currency At Washington Dulles Airport

DULLES, VA — Customs officials at Washington Dulles International Airport seized $46,628 in unreported currency Monday from a traveler on his way to Cameroon, according to a release.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers were conducting a random inspection of passengers boarding a flight to Brussels, Belgium when they asked a traveler how much currency he was carrying. The man told them that he was carrying $30,000, which is what he reported on the U.S. Treasury Department form he had completed. Searching the man's carry-on bags, officers found $46,628 in U.S. currency.

Federal law puts no limits on how much currency a traveler can bring into or take out of the U.S. However, travelers are required to report amounts exceeding $10,000 to a CBP officer.

CBP officers seized the currency from the traveler and returned $628 as humanitarian relief. They then allowed him to continue on his journey. The man's identity was not released because he was not criminally charged.

“Customs and Border Protection warns travelers that they face severe consequences for not complying with our nation’s laws, as this traveler now realizes,” said John Jurgutis, acting area port director for the area port of Washington, D.C., in a release. “The easiest way for travelers to hold onto their currency is to report it all to a CBP officer.”

CBP officers seize about $386,000 in unreported or illicit currency every day at U.S. borders.