see also: in December 2008:   CBP Lists Top 10 Enforcement Events of 2008   CBP Seizes $200K in Undeclared Currency; Arrest 1 at Texas Port   Marfa Sector Agents Apprehend Murder Suspect   San Ysidro Port Modernization Deployment Temporarily Reduces Lanes   Border Patrol Agents Assist in Locating Distressed Individual   CBP Officers Stop Man at Michigan Border Crossing Wanted for Aggravated Sexual Assault   Holiday Surprise; CBP Unwraps 312 Pounds of Khat in December ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

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Philadelphia – The Atlantic Ocean is a wide expanse of deep sea, but if anything, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have proven that bouncing fraudulent checks across the pond to the United States is an exercise in futility.

CBP officers completed confirmations on Monday that 13 checks totaling $464,100 that were drafted against four prominent financial institutions were fraudulent. CBP officers seized the fake checks, which arrived from Europe via international air mail on December 14.

“Bad actors have used fake monetary instruments for years in illicit schemes that financially hurt U.S. citizens and businesses. We also know that these proceeds feed illegal narcotics networks and terrorist organizations,” said Allan Martocci, CBP port director for the Area Port of Philadelphia. “One of the keys to stopping nefarious activities is stopping the funding and CBP officers remain committed to intercepting counterfeit monetary instruments that feed criminal enterprise.”

CBP officers discovered the fraudulent checks while conducting routine inspections of international air cargo at the Philadelphia International Airport. One parcel included a Chase Manhattan Bank check for $43,500. Chase Manhattan Bank confirmed on December 21, that the check was a fake.

A second parcel included 12 checks totaling $420,600 stapled to the inside of an African Review magazine. Five Wachovia checks totaled $27,100; four Wells Fargo checks totaled $43,500; and three Citizens Bank checks totaled $350,000. The three financial institutions confirmed the checks to be fakes.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.