A 1989 Ford truck headed for the Dominican Republic was worth $1.3 million, Customs says
You can find a 1989 Ford F800 cargo truck online for around $5,000, but U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in Puerto Rico said they found far more value in a truck headed for the Dominican Republic capital of Santo Domingo.
Dogs sniffing around the truck Monday got their noses tickled by two boxes labeled “dining table,” according to Customs officers in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Inside the boxes were wooden tables; inside the wooden tables were $1,000,100 in cash.
This primed the curiosity pump about what else the truck held. On Tuesday, officers say they found a sink with another $348,940 in cash.
Money smuggling is the method in which which people try to hide the illegal origin and ownership of funds generated from their illicit activities.
“The transportation of currency or monetary instruments, regardless of the amount, is legal,” said Roberto Vaquero, Deputy Director of Field Operations for Border Security in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. “However, when you enter or leave the US in possession of monetary instruments over $10,000, you must file a report with us. Coin concealment may be indicative that the coin is the product of illicit activities.”
This story was originally published April 22, 2021 at 4:41 PM.
