A police dog named “Pub” helped two federal agents sniff out two massive cash seizures amounting to nearly $75,000 in undeclared cash in the first quarter of 2026.
Pub, a Belgian Malinois trained to find currency and firearms, alerted Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents to a hidden stash of $44,432 in February and another pile worth $30,417 in March.
The Belgian Malinois found 20 percent of the total undeclared cash discovered at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in the first quarter of the year. The larger sum was bound for Qatar, while the second was due for El Salvador.
Agents reportedly said they gave the suspects with undeclared cash “multiple opportunities” to confess before searching their belongings.
“Currency enforcement operations focus on detecting unreported and bulk currency smuggling, which has been shown to be proceeds of illicit activity, such as from narcotics and human smuggling, and fraud and other financial crimes that prey on our nation’s most vulnerable citizens,” CBP said in a release.
Travelers are allowed to fly with any amount of cash as long as they declare any sum over $10,000 to the U.S. Treasury. Agents often give travelers a chance to fill out a “FinCEN 105” form even after they have been caught with undeclared cash.
“During the first three months of 2026, CBP officers helped travelers complete FinCEN 105s that totaled nearly $3 million,” the agency said in a release.
“Travelers must understand that failing to declare currency can result in serious consequences, including seizure of funds and possible criminal charges,” CBP Atlanta Area Port Director Zachary Thomas said in a statement. “Our officers remain committed to enforcing all of our nation’s laws, including currency reporting, and hold violators accountable.”
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