CBP officers in Minnesota seize $900G in counterfeit bills from Chinese shipping container

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Minnesota discovered $900,000 in counterfeit $1 bills inside a shipping container originating from China, the agency said in a press release Monday.

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CBP officers had referred a rail container for a Customs Exam Station inspection on Dec. 14 at the International Falls Port of Entry, which connects the cities of International Falls, Minn., and Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada.

While inspecting the container Friday, CBP officers found 45 cartons of possible counterfeit currency in the form of $1 bills with a total face value of $900,000. The U.S. Secret Service was contacted and determined the currency is counterfeit, the press release said.

CBP officers in Minnesota seized $900,000 in fake U.S. currency. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

“CBP officers strive every day to protect the United States from a variety of threats,” Jason Schmelz, Pembina Area Port Director, said in a statement. “Those threats don’t always come in the form of terrorists or narcotics, but also in the form of counterfeit currency and other goods that have the potential to harm the economy of the United States.

CBP officers found cartons of counterfeit currency Friday that arrived in International Falls, Minnesota, via rail. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

“Thanks to the dedication of our officers and our partnership with the Secret Service, we were able to keep this currency from entering into circulation.”

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The CBP said stopping the flow of counterfeit merchandise, including counterfeit currency, is a priority trade issue for the agency in order to minimize its negative impact on the U.S. economy.