A man who was trying to board a flight to Costa Rica from Orlando International Airport was arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle more than $100,000, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers say.

  • Customs says man was trying to smuggle unreported money
  • Man was on his way to Costa Rica from Orlando

As the man was boarding the flight, he was stopped for questioning by CBP officers. Officers asked the man, who is a Spanish passport holder, how much money he was carrying. The man allegedly claimed he was carrying $800, CBP stated.

But after officers inspected the man and his luggage, they found an unreported amount of money, authorities say, which violates federal currency reporting regulations.

“Any passenger can carry more than $10,000 as long as they report it,” Port Director Eduardo Oliveros said. “It is the mission of CBP officers to identify those who may be trying to circumvent reporting requirements in order to carry out unlawful transactions and other currency violations.”

The investigation is ongoing.