Border Patrol seizes more than $746K found in duffle bag at Highway 86 checkpoint
A United States citizen was arrested after border patrol agents found more than $746,000 inside their vehicle at the Highway 86 immigration checkpoint.
The incident happened on Feb 17 at around 7:40 p.m.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, an agent noticed the driver's erratic behavior when her SUV was at the checkpoint. The vehicle was taken to secondary inspection.
A Border Patrol K-9 detection team alerted agents to the rear of the vehicle. Agents inspected the vehicle and found a large black duffle bag containing a large amount of currency.
"Border Patrol K-9s are trained to detect the odors of concealed humans, controlled substances, firearms, and U.S. currency," Border Patrol officials wrote.
Agents found that the driver, a 29-year-old woman, was in possession of $746,050. She is suspected of transporting or smuggling bulk currency derived from illicit activities.
The driver, money, and vehicle were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations.
“Another noteworthy seizure by Indio Station agents,” said El Centro Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino. “The El Centro Sector is a very unfavorable environment for drug traffickers, and any criminals for that matter, and I’d advise potential law breakers to give our professional agents a wide berth.”
