The Customs and Border Protection (CBP)for its acronym in English) warned of the discovery of 190 thousand dollars not declared in different controls at Washington-Dulles International Airportin Virginia, which is located a 40-minute drive from the White House. The authorities warned travelers about the importance of proper customs declaration to avoid sanctions, especially during the holidays.
Between October 27 and December 10, 2025, the CBP confiscated around US$190 thousandan accumulated amount from different operations that involved undeclared money at airport controlsat the Washington-Dulles air terminal. In total, the amount resulted from the seizure of eight groups of travelers during inspections at the boarding gates.
In a statement published on December 16, the federal agency said that the passengers tried to board different flights to Belgium, Ghana, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal and Togo.
In operations, the CBP made the largest single seizure at US$50,000 on October 27, belonging to a couple who intended to travel to Ghana, but who only declared that he was carrying US$9,250both in the written document and verbally.
Federal agents later found US$40,000 in cash, distributed in four envelopes in the carry-on luggagebefore both boarded the flight to the African country.
The agency indicated that passengers can travel with any amount of cash, but Amounts greater than US,000 must be reported to the US Department of the Treasury.
To do this, they must complete the organization’s “report on international transportation of currency or monetary instruments,” FINCEN 105, with the following data:
The form can be completed both before arriving at the airport and at the gate, by asking CBP officers for assistance.
The federal agency seized an average of US$152,418 per day in unreported currency at US borders during fiscal year 2024.
The federal agency issued a message to passengers planning to travel during the holiday season. “It is the holiday season and we know people will travel internationally to a vacation destination or to spend time with family. We also understand that many travelers will carry cash to buy gifts“, they indicated.
And they continued: “We recommend that you save time and inconvenience, and avoid possible delays in your travel plansstrictly complying with the currency reporting laws of our country.”
Meanwhile, CBP warned that travelers risk missing their flight If these anomalies are identified during an inspection by agents that results in seizure, in addition to being able to face criminal proceedings for smuggling bulk currency and being investigated for not knowing the origin of the money.
