Border Officers Find $852K Hidden In Car Bound For Haiti
UPDATED: 4:23 pm EDT October 18, 2007
RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. -- U.S. Customs officials found $852,000 hidden in the bumper of a sport utility vehicle leaving from Palm Beach and bound for Haiti, police said.
According to a press release, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers were performing random inspections of vehicles destined for Haiti Wednesday, utilizing a newly acquired X-ray vehicle, the Z Backscatter Van, nicknamed "the ice cream truck" by CBP officers.
Officials said the officers noticed an unusual density in the rear quarter panel and bumper of a red 1997 Toyota RAV-4 that was awaiting export. Upon physical inspection, investigators found bundles of cash wrapped in plastic bags and black tape that were tightly packed into the small spaces.
CBP Director of Field Operations Harold Woodward said the money was being smuggled out of the U.S. illegally and was likely linked to "serious criminal activity."
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is an agency within the Department of Homeland Security which is charged with the management, control and protection of U.S. borders at and between official ports of entry. The CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
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