It also happened to Carmina Perez and her 10-year-old son just after they crossed the Tennessee River into Decatur County. The two were on the way to see Perez's mother in Texas and her father-in-law in Mexico.
Perez freely admitted to the interdiction officer that she was carrying $15,000 to help her family with their medical bills.
"He kept calling me a liar," Perez told NewsChannel 5 Investigates. "He kept saying that we Mexicans we all have a reputation of being drug smugglers, that that's what I was going to use it for. I kept telling him no."
After four hours on the side of the road, agents took Perez's money, forcing the family to cancel their trip home.
"It took me months to save that money, and it hurt me the way they treated me and the way they treated my son," she recalled. "It hurt me and it still does."
And she's not alone.
Our NewsChannel 5 investigation found case-after-case where other innocent people also had their cash taken by people who are supposed to be enforcing the law.
Another example of people not keeping their govt honest.
This is far from new.
When you draw up plans for a two story house with red shudders and when the builder is done and the house has two floors and red shudders....are you surprised.
This was designed by us, the cop was just following and eating the carrot.
