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8,462 Twenty-Dollar Bills: Customs Dog Finds $176,640 in SUV Crossing From the U.S. Into Tijuana, Across From San Diego — Woman Detained

By The Narco Blog · October 7, 2026

Stacks of U.S. dollar bills on a table below a banner reading "Combate a prácticas ilegales, Guardia Nacional, Garita El Chaparral, Aduana de Tijuana, B.C."
The $176,640 in U.S. bills that Mexican customs says was found in a vehicle entering Tijuana through the El Chaparral crossing, as shown in the official Oct. 7, 2026, announcement. Photo: Mexican government handout (ANAM, Defensa, SSPC / Gabinete de Seguridad), via Infobae.

Mexican customs officers at the El Chaparral crossing in Tijuana, across from San Diego, found $176,640 in undeclared U.S. cash in a vehicle coming in from the United States and detained the driver, a woman, federal authorities announced on Oct. 7, 2026. Most of the money, 8,462 bills, was in $20s. A detection dog helped find it, according to the joint announcement by Mexico’s National Customs Agency (ANAM), the Defense Ministry and the Security Ministry (SSPC), as reported by El Universal, Infobae and Los Noticieristas.

Stacks of U.S. dollar bills on a table below a banner reading "Combate a prácticas ilegales, Guardia Nacional, Garita El Chaparral, Aduana de Tijuana, B.C."
The $176,640 in U.S. bills that Mexican customs says was found in a vehicle entering Tijuana through the El Chaparral crossing, as shown in the official Oct. 7, 2026, announcement. Photo: Mexican government handout (ANAM, Defensa, SSPC / Gabinete de Seguridad), via Infobae.

What customs says it found

The vehicle entered through the lane for passenger vehicles, El Universal reported. The announcement listed 100 bills of $10, 8,462 of $20, 96 of $50 and 16 of $100, a total of 8,674 bills worth about 3.21 million pesos. Infobae identified the vehicle as a gray Kia Seltos and, citing an image circulated on social media, said it had Baja California plates. Authorities said the driver had not declared the cash, Los Noticieristas reported.

The announcement did not give the date of the seizure. Infobae said the outlet Radar Sonora first reported the case on Oct. 3, four days before the federal announcement.

A customs officer holds a detection dog on a leash inside the back seat of a silver SUV with its doors open at a border inspection lane
A customs officer and detection dog inspect the SUV at the Tijuana crossing. Authorities say the dog helped locate the cash. Photo: Mexican government handout (ANAM, Defensa, SSPC / Gabinete de Seguridad), via Infobae.

What happens next

The woman and the money were handed to the federal Public Ministry, which will decide her legal situation and open an investigation, El Universal and Los Noticieristas reported. Los Noticieristas said the vehicle was turned over as well. Authorities have not released her name. Infobae said prosecutors will look into where the money came from and where it was going, and that no link between the woman and any cartel or criminal group had been disclosed.

Why the small bills stand out

Infobae noted that more than 97% of the bills were $20s. It said splitting cash into small denominations fits patterns meant to make it harder to detect at border crossings. That is the outlet’s analysis. Officials have not said why the money was in small bills or who it belonged to.

Related coverage: ‘El Serafín,’ 21, Arrested in Tijuana, Across From San Diego, in Killing of State Officer — Police Say He Claimed 35+ Killings for U.S.-Sanctioned Sinaloa Cartel Lieutenant ‘El Ranchero’

Sources

Reported Oct. 7, 2026, from the outlets above, which cite the joint ANAM, Defense Ministry and SSPC announcement. The detained woman has not been publicly named, the sources reviewed do not report any criminal charge, and authorities have not tied her or the money to any criminal group.