Foreign ATM? Somali cash exodus from Minneapolis exponentially larger than other major US airports

A significant cash movement from Minneapolis Airport has attracted attention from Homeland Security and investigators, revealing unusually high amounts of money being taken out of the U. S. by Somali couriers. This situation raises serious questions about financial oversight and potential fraudulent activities.

1. Surge in Cash Movement:

• Somali couriers have reportedly moved cash out of Minneapolis Airport at rates 10 to 100 times higher than other major U. S. airports in the past two years.

• In 2024 and 2025, nearly $700 million was detected by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in luggage, averaging around $1 million daily.

2. Route of Cash:

• This cash is primarily transported to Amsterdam and then on to Dubai, which has raised flags for intelligence and federal criminal investigators.

3. Comparison with Other Airports:

• The cash leaving Minneapolis is 99% larger than amounts detected from major airports like Dallas-Fort Worth and JFK in New York.

• In 2024, cash exiting from Atlanta and JFK was less than 1% of what left Minneapolis, and Dallas and Seattle showed similar discrepancies.

4. Legal Declarations:

• Although the cash was declared under U. S. Customs rules, the amounts raised concerns among TSA agents. Instances of individuals carrying as much as $1 million were noted.

5. Ongoing Investigations:

• The Homeland Security Investigations unit is currently probing this financial activity as part of a larger investigation into a multibillion-dollar fraud scheme involving Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community.

6. Calls for Legislative Action:

• Congressman Jeff Crank expressed that this scandal could push Congress to strengthen laws regarding oversight of cash movement to prevent financial fraud, emphasizing the need for similar controls as those found in corporations.

The significant cash exodus from the Minneapolis Airport underscores potential gaps in financial regulations and oversight, prompting increased scrutiny and potential legislative action to better control large transfers of money from the U. S. 

https://justthenews.com/government/security/foreign-atm-somali-cash-exodus-minneapolis-exponentially-larger-other-major-us