Investigation Launched into Large Cash Transfers from MSP Airport
Federal authorities are looking into the transport of roughly $700 million in U.S. cash from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, linked to a lesser-known Somali airline flight that’s been largely overlooked for some time.
According to witnesses, the cash was transported legally to Somalia and other nations. The TSA reportedly informed its superiors about these transactions. Large sums, often exceeding $1 million, were packed into passenger luggage and presented to airport security by migrants returning to Somalia and various locations in Africa and the Middle East.
Notably, during President Biden’s administration, there was apparently no inquiry into these significant cash movements.
Republican Rep. Eli Crane from Arizona expressed concern about this situation, stating that Congress should investigate the millions being sent overseas in these cash-filled packages. His comments came in the wake of a TSA alert regarding a bag full of cash belonging to a Somali national traveling from Minnesota.
Recently, Rep. Crane has also questioned Minnesota officials about claims that Somali immigrants in the state are channeling millions of dollars to al-Shabab, a terrorist organization.
Reports suggest that these cash-filled bags have started appearing at U.S. airports since Tim Walz, a Democrat, became the governor of Minnesota in 2018.
According to estimates, travelers in Minneapolis are projected to have $342.37 million in luggage in 2024 and $349.4 million in 2025, suggesting that national figures could be even higher.
Though TSA agents routinely flagged substantial amounts of cash, the current administration did not seem to act on these observations.
A former TSA employee, who acted as a whistleblower, disclosed that she witnessed numerous suitcases filled with cash passing through the airport. “I was stunned when I saw a suitcase packed with millions of dollars. The person carrying it was a Somali man who frequently traveled with a companion, and he went right through the checkpoint. It was pretty shocking,” she recounted.
