Two Dominicans declared $5,600 to U.S. customs. Then, customs checked luggage and a Ford
Two Dominican Republic citizens lost a combined $567,409 through to two seizures by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the agency said.
Customs says Rudi Alfonso Hernandez-Simon declared he was leaving with $1,600 cash as he left via Luis Munoz Marin International Airport on March 30. But when Customs cops checked Hernandez-Simon’s nine pieces of luggage, they say the suitcases’ rails contained another $351,772.
The law says travelers bringing in or taking out more than $10,000 currency must declare it. Homeland Security arrested Hernandez-Simon, 52.
Customs and Border Protection didn’t name the Dominican citizen with legal permanent residence who said he was leaving with $4,000 as he put his Ford E-350 van on ferry M/V KYDON for Santo Domingo on April 1.
When officials looked under the carpet between the van’s front seats, they found more than pocket change: 13 packages of cash, totaling $214,037.
This story was originally published April 7, 2019 at 3:35 PM.
