PHILADELPHIA, PA — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized $19,000 from two travelers at Philadelphia International Airport on Monday after a detector dog alerted to them as they prepared to board a flight to the Dominican Republic, according to the agency.
CBP identified the travelers only as a 63-year-old woman and a 79-year-old man. The agency reported that Nitro, a 3-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever trained to detect bulk currency, alerted separately to each traveler during boarding for a flight to Santo Domingo.
When questioned, the woman reported carrying $9,000 and the man reported carrying $5,000, according to CBP.
Officers escorted the pair to an inspection station, where they allegedly initially denied traveling together. CBP reported that the travelers had matching luggage and later acknowledged they were traveling together.
A subsequent inspection found $19,681 in combined currency, the agency reported.
Officers returned $681 to the couple for what CBP described as humanitarian purposes and seized the remaining $19,000. The travelers were then released.
Acting Area Port Director Elliott Ortiz accused the couple of attempting to avoid federal currency-reporting requirements by dividing the money and claiming they were traveling separately.
“This couple attempted to evade federal currency reporting laws by structuring their currency and claiming to be traveling separately,” Ortiz said.
CBP advises international travelers to accurately report the currency in their possession during inspections. Failure to comply with federal reporting requirements can result in seizure and other penalties.
All suspects, arrestees, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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