Philadelphia airport CBP officers seize $19,000 in undeclared cash

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized $19,000 in undeclared currency from a couple attempting to board a flight from Philadelphia International Airport to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

During outbound passenger enforcement, a three-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever named Nitro alerted officers to the travelers. A 63-year-old woman and a 79-year-old man initially attempted to evade federal reporting laws by claiming they were traveling separately and declaring only $14,000 combined ($9,000 and $5,000 respectively). However, officers noted the pair had matching luggage, and the travelers eventually admitted they were traveling together.

Upon inspection, officers discovered a total of $19,681. CBP officials stated they returned $681 to the couple for humanitarian purposes and seized the remaining $19,000. The travelers were subsequently released.