A Tampa woman has been charged by federal authorities for allegedly smuggling over $100,000 in cash into the United States from Cuba.
Mirtza Ocana, 38, faces conspiracy to commit bulk cash smuggling, according to an indictment from the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
On Feb. 5, Ocana arrived at Tampa International Airport on an international flight from Cuba, according to the complaint. While going through customs, she told agents she had nothing to declare and denied having more than $10,000 in cash.
During a routine luggage inspection, agents recovered $30,000 in cash in Ocana's luggage, concealed in three different wrapped packages, the complaint stated. Agents later found she had an additional $70,000 in cash hidden in her clothes.
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Ocana later admitted to detectives that she had been smuggling U.S. currency into the United States from Cuba for months and knew it was illegal to bring large amounts of cash into the country without declaring it. She took 2-3 trips a month to smuggle the cash and was paid about $1,000-2,500 per trip.
Records showed she flew from Cuba to Tampa 45 times since May 2023, according to the complaint.
If convicted on all counts, Ocana faces a maximum of five years in federal prison.
