Police: South Texas man smuggles $250,000 to pay for daughter's quinceañera

SAN ANTONIO – A man from the Rio Grande Valley, who allegedly attempted to smuggle more than $250,000 into the U.S., said he wanted to use the money to help pay for his daughter’s quinceañera.

A criminal complaint filed to a federal court obtained by the San Antonio Express-News states that 74-year-old Vicente Blanco wanted to pay for dental work first, then use the remainder of the money to offset the cost of the quinceañera, an often-elaborate celebration of a 15-year-old girl's birthday observed in many Latino cultures.

Blanco was arrested on June 12 at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge, where he attempted to smuggle $267,617 into Texas, according to a news release from Customs and Border Protection.

During the inspection, officers found $1,817 concealed on Blanco and the rest of the cash in his 1999 Dodge Caravan, according to the complaint.

Read more: http://www.lmtonline.com/front-news/article_4e3ac9b6-192e-11e5-acde-97987836481c.html (Laredo Morning Times)