Crime & Safety

Border Patrol Seizes Nearly Half a Million in Smuggled Cash In Carlsbad

Agents stopped a pickup truck during a cash smuggling attempt.

U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a 54-year-old male Mexican national in Carlsbad for smuggling more than $462,000 hidden in an aftermarket compartment in a Chevrolet Silverado.

Around 9:30 a.m. Monday morning, agents on patrol in Carlsbad spotted a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck being driven in an erratic and suspicious manner on southbound Interstate 5.  Agents stopped the vehicle near Tamarack Avenue for suspicion of illegal smuggling activity.  The driver’s nervous demeanor and inconsistent responses led agents to request the assistance of a Border Patrol K-9 team.  The K-9 team performed a cursory inspection of the vehicle which resulted in a positive alert to the passenger-side front fender.  

Agents performed an interior inspection of the truck and discovered an aftermarket compartment on the passenger side near the engine firewall.  Agents gained access to the compartment, where they discovered 42 cellophane-wrapped bundles containing more than $462,000 in currency. 

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The suspected smuggler and bulk cash were taken into custody and subsequently turned over to the ICE Office of Homeland Security Investigations.  The Border Patrol seized the currency and Silverado pending forfeiture proceedings. 


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