Millions in Cash Leaving Minneapolis Airport Raises Terrorism Funding Concerns

Lawmakers investigate money funneling schemes tied to child care fraud and Somali diaspora remittances

Mar. 28, 2026 at 9:38am

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Millions of dollars in cash, including large sums believed to be funding foreign terrorists, continue to fly out of the Minneapolis airport annually, according to lawmakers investigating the money funneling schemes. Republican Minnesota state Rep. Kristin Robbins said the amount of money exiting through Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is far higher than cash totals leaving other major U.S. travel hubs, raising concerns about potential terrorism financing.

Why it matters

The high volume of cash leaving the Minneapolis airport has been linked to child care fraud within Minnesota's social services, with fraudsters suspected of transporting the money to terrorist networks abroad. This issue highlights the need for tighter financial oversight and reporting requirements to combat transnational money laundering and the diversion of taxpayer funds to support terrorism.

The details

Robbins said the $350 million flown out of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in 2025 marked a record-high haul, a steady rise from $343 million in 2024 and more than triple the $75 million identified in 2000. Much of the cash, stuffed inside suitcases and shipped out on international flights, is believed to make its way to East Africa, where many Somalis have resettled following the civil war. Somali refugees in Minnesota have been pressured to pay remittances to their war-torn home country through organized collection systems known as hawalas, some of which have been controlled directly by the terrorist group al Shabab.

  • In 2025, $350 million in cash was flown out of the Minneapolis airport, a record-high amount.
  • In 2024, $343 million in cash was flown out of the Minneapolis airport.
  • In 2000, $75 million in cash was flown out of the Minneapolis airport.

The players

Kristin Robbins

Republican Minnesota state representative and chairwoman of the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee.

Scott Stillman

Former head of digital forensics at the Minnesota Department of Human Services, who testified about the financial ties between child care fraud and terrorism financing.

John Cornyn

U.S. Senator from Texas and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration, who introduced the Stop Somali Currency Airport Smuggling Through Hawalas Fraud Act.

Scott Bessent

U.S. Treasury Secretary, who has worked with Minnesota lawmakers to combat transnational financial crimes and lower the reporting threshold for cross-border transactions.

al Shabab

A designated terrorist group and paramilitary organization based in Somalia, which has been found to control some hawala money transfer systems in Minnesota.

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What they’re saying

“We're not that big of a city compared to these other international airports, but we have 90% more cash leaving ours. We've got to figure out what's going on here.”

— Kristin Robbins, Republican Minnesota state representative

“That's how they knew that Minnesota money, taxpayer dollars, was being defrauded from these programs and sent overseas.”

— Kristin Robbins, Republican Minnesota state representative

“We never actually counted the money.”

— Former TSA agent

What’s next

Sen. John Cornyn has introduced the Stop Somali Currency Airport Smuggling Through Hawalas Fraud Act, which would require couriers in charge of the cash exports to disclose additional information about the beneficiaries of the outbound cash. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has also announced four active investigations into hawala money-transfer stations in Minnesota.

The takeaway

This case highlights the need for stronger financial oversight and reporting requirements to combat the diversion of taxpayer funds and the potential financing of terrorism through cash smuggling operations at the Minneapolis airport. Addressing this issue will require close collaboration between state and federal authorities to trace the flow of illicit funds and disrupt the networks responsible.