Confiscation for attempting to remove thousands of dollars from Cuba

The head of the General Customs of the Republic (AGR), Nelson Cordovas Reyes, reported to the round table on cases of money smuggling in Cuba.

“When leaving the country, the most we see is an attempt to export drugs that are insured in the country, and also a violation of the Central Bank of Cuba regulations regarding the amount of money that can be taken out of the country.” Cordoves Reyes pointed out.

In Cuba, Resolution No. 124/2020 of the Central Bank of Cuba (BCC) establishes that people Export freely Up to 5 thousand US dollars (5000 USD) or its equivalent in other freely convertible currencies (MLC) upon leaving the country. For larger amounts, the authorization of the BCC President is required.

The same goes for the Cuban peso. Cuban laws allow the export and import of an amount not exceeding five thousand Cuban pesos upon leaving and entering the island.

In this sense, the head of Cuban customs Absolutely That in 2022, 233 violations were detected and 5 million 33,000 pesos and 420,000 dollars in national currency were confiscated.

So far in 2024, 135 violations have been detected, with 3.2 million CUP and 91,000 USD exceeding the legal limit.

According to the information provided, “this trend is growing” and Customs is working hard to combat it, Cordovas Reyes asserted.

The case of Mirtza Oka

A recent case related to this issue that has caused a stir is that of Mirtza Ocana, a Cuban-American, formally charged by the federal prosecutor’s office in Tampa with two counts of money laundering.

Ocana was arrested After returning from Cuba with more than $102,000 in cash without disclosing it to US authorities. It found that he charged a commission of “$1,000 to $2,500 per trip” and made 45 flights to Cuba since May 2023.

The case raised numerous questions about the origin of the money and how Cuban authorities could not trace it.