Four American Airlines flight attendants are facing money laundering charges after they were allegedly found carrying $33,000 ($22,671 USD) in cash into the US from a flight that departed from Chile.
Carlos Alberto Munoz-Moyano, 40, Maria Isabel Wilson Ossandon, 48, Maria Beatriz Pasten-Cuzmar, 55, and Miaria Delpilar Roman-Strick, 55, were arrested Tuesday at Miami International Airport, NBC Miami reported.
A Customs and Border Patrol agent was reportedly tipped off to the alleged money transfer during a routine customs check.
Munoz-Moyano told the CBP agent that he was carrying only $100, but $9,000 was found on him. The other flight attendants were then stopped and questioned, the Miami Herald reported, citing a copy of the arrest report.
Roman-Strick was then allegedly found carrying $7,300 in US currency, while Wilson Ossandon had $6,371.
It’s unclear what role Pasten-Cuzmar had, though authorities said she had allegedly plotted with the others to deliver the money to a “known person” who would give them 1% of the total.
All four have been placed on an immigration hold. None of the accused were listed as having an assigned attorney.
A spokesperson for American Airlines told HuffPost that the company takes the matter “seriously” and that it is cooperating with law enforcement.