Equitable Sharing

ALICIA A.G. LIMTIACO, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the NMI, announced today the asset sharing of $647,923.52 to Guam   Customs and Quarantine.  On February 28, 2008, at the Guam International Airport, the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) discovered a large amount of cash concealed beneath the false bottom of a cardboard box checked as baggage by passenger Ernesto Verdera, who was preparing to board Philippine Airlines Flight #111 from Guam to Manila, Philippines. TSA notified Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency and Guam Customs Officers Peter Ungacta and Barbara Tayama, suspecting criminal activity, immediately contacted Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Guam and responded to the scene. 

Before HSI agents could arrive on the scene, Guam Customs Officers, acting on behalf of HSI, detained Verdera and his baggage for questioning and further inspection. Most significantly, Guam Customs officers quickly established that Verdera was traveling with Mark Bartolome and caused the airline to retrieve from the outbound flight eight other pieces of checked baggage belonging to Verdera and Bartolome.
     
Subsequent examination of the detained outbound baggage by HSI agents and Guam Customs Officers resulted in the discovery of $810,631.00 in suspected illegal drug proceeds concealed in false bottoms of the checked baggage belonging to Verdera and Bartolome. 
     
But for the quick reactions of Guam Customs Officers, the baggage concealing the bulk of the concealed money could not have been identified, located and removed from the aircraft prior to departure of the flight. In addition, contributions from Guam Customs Officers were essential not only to recovery of the cash from numerous concealed compartments in the checked baggage but were also essential to collecting and processing evidence and collecting witness statements. 
     
The actions by Guam Customs helped to establish the basis not only for the seizure and forfeiture of the cash but also for the arrest and subsequent indictments and convictions of Verdera for Bulk Cash Smuggling in violation of 31 USC 5332 and BARTOLOME for Importation of Methamphetamine in violation of 21 USC 952(a).
     
Guam Customs Officers Peter Ungacta and Barbara Tayama were the HSI case agents for the investigation and prosecution.  Others making significant contributions to the case were members of the Guam Customs Contraband Enforcement Team (CET), the Guam Customs Office of Intelligence and the Guam Customs K-9 Unit.
   
 Under the Treasury Department's Equitable Sharing Program, for invaluable contributions to the successful seizure and forfeiture of the $810,631.00, HSI and the Treasury Executive Office for Asset Forfeiture awarded to Guam Customs an asset sharing award in the amount of $647,923.52.  The awarded amount equals 80 per cent of the total seized and forfeited, the maximum amount allowed under the program guidelines.