Federal Officials Probe $700M in Cash Flagged Leaving Minneapolis Airport Over Two Years

MINNEAPOLIS  (VINnews) — The Transportation Security Administration flagged nearly $700 million in cash carried in passengers’ luggage departing Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport over the past two years, according to Homeland Security officials.

The cash, mostly transported by a small group of couriers of Somali descent on routine flights to Amsterdam and then Dubai, totaled approximately $342.37 million in 2024 and $349.4 million in 2025 from the Minneapolis airport alone. Officials described the volume as exponentially larger — 10 to 100 times higher — than similar detected cash outflows from other major U.S. airports, such as those in Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta or New York.

Most of the cash was legally declared on U.S. Customs forms as required for amounts over $10,000, but the sheer scale, including bundles sometimes reaching $1 million per suitcase, raised suspicions among TSA agents. Former personnel reported routinely seeing suitcases packed with millions in cash, often carried in pairs by Somali men, prompting concerns that a larger scheme might be involved.

TSA agents flagged the movements to Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations, but officials said there was limited follow-up during the prior administration. Interest intensified recently under the current administration amid broader scrutiny of fraud and money-laundering risks.

Homeland Security Investigations is now examining the cash flows as part of an ongoing probe into alleged multibillion-dollar fraud schemes linked to Minnesota’s Somali community. Dozens of defendants have faced federal charges in related multistate cases involving public assistance programs, including a high-profile conviction last year in a $250 million pandemic aid fraud case tied to the now-defunct Feeding Our Future organization.

Officials noted that while the cash declarations were in order, limiting intervention options, the patterns have sparked calls for potential legislative changes to enhance federal tracking and authority over such outflows. Some sources suggested the movements may tie into larger remittance systems used by immigrant communities, though concerns persist about possible links to illicit activities.

The cash exodus from Minneapolis has been described by some officials as functioning like a “foreign ATM” draining U.S. dollars overseas, with totals nationwide likely exceeding the Minneapolis figures significantly.

The investigation continues, with no charges announced directly related to the airport cash transports. Homeland Security officials emphasized that not all the funds are assumed to be illicit, but the abnormal volume warrants further review.