Cristiano Ronaldo's Mother Dolores Aveiro Has More Than $50k Seized at Airport

Dolores Aveiro, the mother of Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, was reportedly stopped at Madrid airport after trying to leave Spain with €45,000 in cash. 

According to El Mundo (h/t Gerard Couzens of the Daily Mirror), Civil Guard officers located the money in her hand luggage last month. The piece claims that the fortune was then confiscated, as Aveiro was unable to account for its origin.

A spokesman from the Civil Guard responded when quizzed on the allegations, per Couzens’ piece:

"

This woman was stopped and money she was carrying taken and handed over to the Spanish tax authorities along with a report filed by the Civil Guard.

She will now have to answer to the tax authorities.

My understanding is she will be asked to pay a fine and will have to justify the origin of the money if she wants it back. It’s not a matter that we’ll get involved in.

"

The article claims that Ronaldo’s mother was eventually allowed to fly back to Portugal with possession of €10,000. As noted, anyone coming into or departing Spain with more than €10,000 on them must declare the sum in accordance with laws implemented in 2007 to prevent tax evasion and money laundering.

El Mundo state that Dolores was not put under arrest for the incident but was detained for several minutes. It’s also claimed that the run-in was being treated as an “administrative error,” not a criminal act.

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

As noted by Sport Witness, with Ronaldo earning a whopping £265,000 per week, according to BBC, the source of the money seems clear:

According to Couzens, the 60-year-old Aveiro may also have to pay a fine in order for the Civil Guard to release the €45,000. Ronaldo’s mother will discover just how substantial her sanction is likely to be and whether she will face any further investigation after the Spanish Agencia Tributaria have made a decision.