BURLINGTON: US three local law enforcement agencies are getting a cut of drug money intercepted at the border.
The Warren County New York Sheriff’s Office, the Franklin County Vermont Sheriff’s Office and the South Burlington Police Department were given checks for $40,000 each here the other day. The money is part of a $400,000 cash seizure by the U.S. Border Patrol.
“We have national bulk cash smuggling center right here in Vermont. It is open 24 hours a day. It’s operational, it’s intelligence-driven and we work nationally and internationally to disrupt pipelines used to move currency derived from illegal activity. We established the bulk cash smuggling center in 2009 and between the fiscal years of 2003 and 2013 we have had over 2,300 arrests, as well as seizures of $550 million,” said Bruce Foucart, the chief agent in charge of Homeland Security investigations.
“The success of this case was made possible by the joint efforts of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners. We are honored to turn a large portion of these operation’s ill-gotten gains into monies that will be used to protect the citizens of this community as well as in New York,” said Foucart.
Money smuggler Luis Cordero was sentenced to 25 months in prison for bulk cash smuggling. Authorities say this was part of a drug trafficking operation between Quebec and Vermont. By law, Border Patrol was only able to award each agency the maximum of 10 percent of the money seized.
