U.S. customs officials found $600,000 worth of currency in two shipments of tortilla presses bound for Bogota, according to a press release Tuesday.
After noticing an anomaly in the x-ray of eight tortilla presses, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official drilled into one of the rollers and found $639,700 in cash wrapped in plastic.
The two DHL shipments from the same individual in Mexico was routed through Cincinnati, Ohio without the knowledge of the sender, where the discovery of the clandestine cash was made.
David Murphy, Chicago director of CPB field operations said, “This is the largest seizure of bulk currency smuggling in the history of CBP in Cincinnati. The interdiction further demonstrates the commitment of our CPB officers to disrupt the flow of illicit currency which could be used to finance criminal enterprises. This is yet another outstanding seizure by a group of CPB officers who work throughout the night protecting this country while the rest of the nation is asleep.”
