NEW YORK: Officers arrested a Mexican man last week, when he attempted to cross the B&M International Bridge without declaring nearly $49,000 cash.
Officers with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations arrested Jose Hilario Lopez-Gonzalez on Friday, according to federal court records and an agency news release.
Lopez-Gonzalez remains in federal custody and couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday. The Federal Public Defender’s Office in Brownsville declined to comment on the case.
Lopez-Gonzalez and another man, Emilio Gonzalez-Sosa, attempted to cross the international bridge in a maroon and gold 1994 Chevrolet C20 van, according to the criminal complaint and the news release. They denied having more than $10,000 cash — a standard question for people crossing the border.
Officers referred the van to secondary inspection, where they discovered $48,995 hidden inside the engine’s intake manifold, according to the criminal complaint.
“During an interview, Lopez-Gonzalez confessed to knowingly transporting the monies from Mesquite, Texas, back to Matamoros, Tamaulipas,” according to the criminal complaint. “Lopez-Gonzalez was to be paid $1,000 USD for smuggling the money into Mexico.”
Federal Magistrate Judge Ronald G. Morgan charged Lopez-Gonzalez with concealing United States currency to evade reporting requirements and attempting to transport the currency from the United States to Mexico.
PIA launches special discount on flights to Toronto
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced a 30% discount on flights from Pakistan to Toronto, Canada, for travel until...
