$500K Cash Found Inside Chair At Miami Airport

MIAMI, FL — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Miami International are sitting on some cold hard cash, nearly $500,000 to be exact.

The agency's Zach Mann told Patch Wednesday that a total of $491,280 was found inside an outbound cargo shipment hidden in a cushioned chair.

"When they looked inside the crate of furniture, they found a chair and inside the chair they found the currency," Mann said.

While it is legal to take money out of the country, Mann said there is a reporting threshold that must be observed for not only cash, but also things like gold coins and bearer bonds.

"There’s no law against taking money out of the country, but you must report any cash and negotiable instruments above $10,000," he said. "In this particular case, it’s clear they were smuggling it out."

The shipment was headed to the Dominican Republic. The agency planned to initiate a forfeiture action. The person responsible for the money could also face criminal charges.

"Criminal organizations will attempt to export large sums of cash to launder their ill-gotten gains,” CBP Acting Port Director at Miami International Airport Robert Del Toro said. “This is a significant seizure and represents the impact we can make on criminal’s profits and was the direct result of our officer’s vigilance and watchfulness.”

Mann said the agency typically seizes a combined total of about $200,000 per day, but that's across all U.S. ports of entry.

"This is significant because it’s one day here in Miami," he said.