Federal authorities are quietly uncovering one of the most jaw-dropping money outflows most Americans have never heard about, and it runs straight through Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport. Over the past two years alone, federal screeners flagged nearly $700 million in cash stuffed into passengers’ luggage leaving Minneapolis, an astonishing sum Homeland Security officials believe is tied largely to Somali immigrants and professional money couriers.
According to officials, this unusual cash traffic began roughly a decade ago, around the time Tim Walz took office, and has ballooned in recent years. While the money was technically legal under U.S. Customs rules and properly declared, Transportation Security Administration agents became alarmed by the sheer scale. Bundles of cash were routinely found, sometimes totaling $1 million on a single trip.
Homeland Security Investigations is now probing the cash flow as part of a broader investigation into massive fraud schemes centered in Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community. Dozens of people connected to those networks have already been charged or convicted of federal crimes. One of the most notorious cases involved the now-defunct Feeding Our Future organization, whose leadership was convicted in what prosecutors described as the largest pandemic aid fraud in the country, involving roughly $250 million.
Officials say most of the cash was carried by a relatively small group of Somali-descended couriers making repeated trips from Minneapolis to Dubai, often routing through Amsterdam. Minneapolis travelers alone were found carrying $342.37 million in 2024 and $349.4 million in 2025. For perspective, Somalia’s entire GDP sits at roughly $11 billion, making these figures borderline absurd.
Despite repeated referrals from TSA to Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations, officials say there was little appetite for follow-up during the Biden administration. Serious scrutiny only began after President Trump returned to the White House. One senior official said enforcement options were limited because couriers consistently had their paperwork in order, even as questions lingered about where the money came from and where it ultimately ended up.
Those questions are not theoretical. Federal and state law enforcement have tracked similar cash flows since at least 2016, driven by concerns that some of the money could reach al-Qaeda-linked groups such as Al-Shabaab or Boko Haram. Once the money hit Dubai, tracking often stopped.
Efforts to investigate were sometimes met with open hostility at the state level, with Minnesota officials accusing investigators of racism for asking basic questions about Somali-linked cash movements. That posture did not exactly inspire confidence.
Missouri State Treasurer Vivek Malek added broader context, noting that more than $200 billion leaves the United States annually through remittances. Mexico alone receives over $52 billion, with billions more flowing to Africa, the Middle East, and China. A significant portion involves illegal immigrants, many of whom entered during the Biden years.
Malek warned that cartels and criminal networks do not sneak cash across borders anymore, they wire it or move it through couriers. His solution is simple: require remittance businesses to verify lawful presence before money leaves the country.
When nearly $700 million in cash can walk onto planes out of Minneapolis without serious scrutiny, it is hard to argue the system is working. This is not about targeting communities, it is about protecting national security, stopping fraud, and finally following the money where it leads.
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