A Tampa resident, Mirtza Ocana (38), has been arrested and charged with smuggling over $100,000 in U.S. currency from Cuba to the United States, according to the official statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the charges, stating that if convicted on all counts, Ocana could face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
The complaint details that on February 5, 2024, Ocana arrived at Tampa International Airport on a flight from Cuba, claiming she had less than $10,000 on her person, which would require reporting.
However, a routine inspection of her luggage by Department of Homeland Security agents revealed approximately $30,000 concealed in three wrapped packages.
Ocana then confessed to regularly flying from Cuba to Tampa to smuggle cash into the United States and acknowledged awareness of the illegality of bringing bulk cash without reporting.
Further inspection uncovered an additional $70,000 hidden in her clothing. Ocana’s flight history disclosed that she had made this journey 45 times since May 2023.
It is important to note that a complaint is a formal charge, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The case is currently under investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, with prosecution led by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Buchanan.
