U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Mirtza Ocana, a 39-year-old resident of Tampa, Florida, to five months in federal prison for smuggling bulk cash into the United States. In addition to the prison sentence, Ocana was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and forfeit more than $100,000 that she attempted to smuggle. Ocana had previously entered a guilty plea on August 12, 2024.
Court documents reveal that on February 5, 2024, Ocana returned from Cuba and declared at passport control that she had nothing to declare, including cash exceeding $10,000. However, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents discovered $31,409 in her luggage and purse during a search. Further inspection revealed an additional $71,300 concealed under her clothing. The total amount she tried to smuggle was approximately $102,400.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Buchanan.
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