Didn't know we criminalized cash.

You have to declare more than $10,000 IIRC when traveling over the border. When taken into account with all the other suspicious activity, it's worth a mention.

If that's per adult they're below the limit.

It's per family (residing in one household).

http://customsandinternationaltradelaw.com/2013/12/13/intern...

There were two families.

It would be (https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/31/5316) in that amount, but that isn't my point.

The point is that the totality of their actions are not supporting their story very well.

Not that I agree with it, but cash definitely can be considered criminal in large amounts. Having a few hundred to a few thousand is enough to be arrested in the US, assuming you're not protected by celebrity.

We don't (and shouldn't), but I don't know of very many people who go on vacation with $16k of it. Like what the hell were they gonna spend that on? A pallet of novelty keychains?

Basically, yes?

actually over $10k without declaring it. But the point is that they were not tourists that got lost. Tourists carry credit cards and all. Why would they be carrying $16,000 (USD, unless it was the equivalent of it) if they're staying in CA?

It was supposedly Canadian money so I think that's less suspicious, than if they accidentally wandered into America with US dollars.

If you are going to some Apple Store, you need them, especially if you're looking for a Mac Pro

Why would you pay for a Mac Pro in cold hard cash?

has you ever asked yourself why those small-market/street-food owners drive a Mercedes AMG/Porsche? Do you think they paid using a Bank account?

On my daily routine I see plenty of people who magically drive luxury cars even with jobs that, on paper. would require probably ~50 years of more to accumulate the required amount of money to buy such a luxury.

Since I couldn’t reply to the guy who didn’t know we “criminalized cash”... $16,000 specifically is an issue because crossing the border with any amount of cash over $10k has to be disclosed. If you don’t, it’s considered like contraband.

No problem if you disclose and explain what it’s for, and in some cases can explain where it came from.

This is a basic money laundering protection policy almost every country I’ve gone through has similar.