James T. Jacks
Acting United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

MEXICAN CITIZEN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTING TO SMUGGLE NEARLY
$300,000 IN CASH FROM U.S. TO MEXICO

LUBBOCK, Texas — A Mexican citizen, who was arrested yesterday morning in Taylor County, Texas, following a traffic stop on Interstate 20, has been charged in a federal complaint with bulk cash smuggling, announced Acting U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Ramon Avila-Ortiz, 49, was arrested by a special agent of the West Central Texas Interlocal Crime Task Force after approximately $276,240 was found hidden in Tide detergent boxes in Avila’s Jeep Cherokee. Avila will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Philip R. Lane for his initial appearance tomorrow. His detention and probable cause hearing will be set at a later date.

According to the affidavit filed with the complaint, early yesterday morning, the task force agent conducted a traffic stop of Avila’s vehicle because the license plate was obstructed. During routine questioning, Avila appeared to be evasive and nervous, but gave the agent permission to look in the rear compartment of the Jeep. Avila said he had purchased the vehicle in Kansas City, Kansas.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was contacted and assisted in the search which revealed a food vacuum sealing machine located beside three large Tide detergent boxes. The detergent boxes contained multiple packages, wrapped in duct tape and plastic, that contained approximately $276,240 in cash.

According to the affidavit, Avila stated that he was approached by a man in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico, and asked to take a bus to Kansas City, where he would be provided a used vehicle to drive back to Chihuahua, Mexico. Avila’s payment for transporting the unspecified contents of the vehicle would be the vehicle itself.

On July 8, 2009, Avila entered the U.S. through El Paso, Texas, and rode a bus to Dallas. He then flew to Kansas City where he was contacted by a man and brought to a small motel where he remained for more than a week. On July 14, 2009, he was taken by an unidentifiedfemale to the Kansas Department of Motor Vehicles to register a 1999 Jeep Cherokee in his name. On July 18, he was instructed by that female to replace all the tires and then follow her to a warehouse. Once there, he was instructed to seal multiple packages of U.S. currency with duct tape, place the sealed packages in the Tide detergent boxes and seal the boxes. Two days later, Avila left Kansas City and proceeded to drive to Mexico, until he was stopped.

A federal complaint is a written statement of the essential facts of the offenses charged, and must be made under oath before a magistrate judge. A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. Bulk cash smuggling carries a maximum statutory penalty, upon conviction, of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

While stating that the investigation is ongoing, acting U.S. Attorney Jacks praised the investigative efforts of the West Texas Interlocal Crime Task Force and ICE. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Haag of the Lubbock, Texas, U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.

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