JEFFERSON COUNTY, Texas – More than $500,000 in cash was seized after it was found hidden in a vehicle during a traffic stop Tuesday, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said.
Deputies stopped a traffic violator in the westbound lanes of Interstate 10 near Major Drive around 9:50 a.m.
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The Sheriff's Office said the driver of a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe became nervous when deputies began asking questions and refused to allow deputies to search the vehicle.
A K-9 officer was called to the scene and alerted on the SUV. The Sheriff's Office said a search of the vehicle revealed $505,630 in cash, which had been hidden in panels.
The driver told deputies he had no knowledge as to where the cash came from, declaring that it was not his.
The Sheriff's Office said the money was seized and secured pending further investigation, and that the vehicle was also seized until the rightful owner could be found.
The driver was released, the Sheriff's Office said.