Texas officials apprehended a Gulf Cartel operative as he was transporting hundreds of thousands of dollars across the state.
Concretely, the man was stopped by authorities while speeding through Kingsville. “While speaking to the vehicle’s occupants, the agent believed some type of criminal activity was occurring,” said the Kleberg County Attorney’s Specialized Crimes and Narcotics Task Force in a statement.
Authorities then asked for permission to search the car, which the driver, Francisco Javier Montalvo, agreed to. Agents discovered nearly $360,000 tucked under the back seat. The money was separated into bundles and covered in translucent green plastic.
Montalvo said he knew the money belonged to the Gulf Cartel because he had previously participated in similar operations. Previously, it was taken up by “unknown subjects in a pickup truck that said ‘Cartel de Golfo’ on the side.”
The man also stated that he went to Houston and stayed in a motel, leaving his automobile keys in the truck. Then someone hid the money there. Montalvo stated that he was transporting the funds to Reynosa and would be compensated with $3,000 for his efforts. He stated that he did not intend to declare the amount he was bringing, although anyone crossing the border with more than $10,000 in cash must do so.
Montalvo has been charged with bulk cash smuggling, a federal offense. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
