Customs Officers Seize $35K In US Currency at Dulles Airport

DULLES, VA — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized more than $35,000 Friday from a woman traveler for violating federal currency reporting laws at Washington Dulles International Airport.

Customs officials encounter the woman, a U.S. citizen, as she boarded her flight to Istanbul, Turkey. After the officers cited the currency reporting law, the woman told them she possessed $5,000. Examining her carry-on bag, CBP officers found an additional $30,016, bringing the total money in her position to $35,016.

CPB did not release the name of the woman because she had not be criminally charged.

“Customs and Border Protection officers offer travelers opportunities to accurately report all currency they possess, and also ensures that the traveler fully understands federal currency reporting laws as well as the consequences for failing to comply,” said Casey Durst, director of Field Operations for CBP’s Baltimore Field Office, in a release. “CBP remains steadfast in our commitment to enforcing our nation’s laws and to protecting our citizens against people and things that could cause us harm.”

Travelers may carry an unlimited amount of money when crossing U.S. borders; however, federal law requires them to report current or monetary instruments in excess of $100,000 to a CBP officer at the border crossing, whether it's an airport, seaport, or land border crossing.

CBP officers provide travelers with many opportunities to report all the currency they possess before they cross the border. Penalties for violating U.S. currency reporting laws can be severe. They may include the seizure of most or all of the traveler's currency.

An individual who has had their currency seized may petition for its return, but they must provide proof that its source and intended use was legitimate.

The bulk currency being smuggled out of the U.S. may be illicit proceeds from nefarious activities, according to CBP, including drug smuggling, counterfeiting or other criminals offenses. On an average day, CBP seizes about $207,000 every day in illicit currency along the U.S. borders.

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