K9 alert leads to $44,000 cash seizure from Mexico-bound traveler in Philly

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K9 Nitro is a 3-year-old male chocolate Labrador retriever trained to detect bulk currency, firearms, and ammunition, alerted officers. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

A man traveling last month from Philadelphia International Airport to Cancun, Mexico ended up traveling a little lighter after a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) currency detector K9 alerted to thousands of dollars of undeclared U.S. currency in his carry-on.

What we know:

CPB says on April 30, officers were conducting outbound passenger enforcement when K9 Nitro, a 3-year-old male chocolate Labrador retriever trained to detect bulk currency, firearms, and ammunition, alerted officers.
 

CBP says officers discovered $44,690 in U.S. currency in the travelers pockets, in separate envelopes, and inside his carry on bag. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

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Officers then conducted an inspection and CBP says they discovered $44,690 in U.S. currency in his pockets, in separate envelopes, and inside his carry-on bag. CPB says officers asked the traveler, a 54-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Peru, how much currency he possessed. Officers said the man told them verbally and in writing, that he had $10,000.  Officers then advised him of federal currency reporting laws which requires people traveling into or out of the United States with over $10,000 in cash, foreign currency, or monetary instruments, to report it to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

What they're saying:

"This traveler concealed currency in multiple locations for the purpose of evading federal currency reporting laws, but no amount of concealment can hide bulk currency from Customs and Border Protection officers and especially from CBP canine Nitro," said Acting Area Port Director Elliott Ortiz, CBP’s Area Port of Philadelphia in a release. "We are quickly approaching the busy summer travel season, and CBP urges travelers to truthfully report all currency they possess to a CBP officer during inspection or face severe consequences as this traveler learned."
 

Dig deeper:

CPS says officers seized all the currency in violation of federal currency reporting laws and for humanitarian purposes, returned $240 to the traveler and released him.