If you're carrying money, you're checking it at all times. That's what tipped off inspectors to stop Rodriguez, who pleaded guilty to cash smuggling and was sentenced Tuesday to six months in federal prison. Rarely, though, is cash on a passenger's body so elaborately concealed. Luis Carlos Riva allegedly preferred his boots. Charged with currency smuggling, Riva's case is pending in federal court.
Luggage offers even greater possibilities for concealing cash.
Stacks of bills have been found sewn into blue jeans, sealed inside candles, stuffed into children's toys, and buried in 10-pound bags of rice. There is no limit on how much cash can be taken into or out of the country. At Newark Airport, a mobile X-ray housed in a battered white van helps inspectors peer into hollow or sealed objects. On a recent Friday, Reyeros' team lined up along an outdoor conveyor belt, checking tags on luggage headed for Miami. Those destined for other countries were yanked off for inspection.