March 31, 2009 Hidalgo, Texas
$148,000 US dollars found strapped to a womans abdomen area

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working outbound enforcement operations at the Hidalgo/Reynosa International Bridge seized close to $148,000 found strapped to the body of a female pedestrian traveling south to enter Mexico.

On March 31, CBP officers and Border Patrol agents working outbound enforcement operations at the Hidalgo/Reynosa International Bridge came in contact with a woman who was traveling south to enter Mexico. After routine questioning, the female was referred to a secondary inspection for an intensive examination. While in the secondary inspection, "Grill", a passive currency and firearms detector dog, alerted officers to the presence of currency odors emanating from the female's body.

Agents conducted a personal patdown search of the woman and found one large bundle of undeclared U.S. bulk currency strapped to her abdomen area. The traveler identified as Isabel Ortega Garcia, a Mexican citizen, 63 years of age from Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico was arrested on U.S. bulk cash smuggling charges.

After her arrest, Ortega Garcia was transferred to the custody of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents who continued to investigate this currency seizure. Customs officers seized the currency.
Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection