The law worldwide is not to carry more than $10,000 of cash into a country. it is to prevent money laundering and funding terrorism. Doing so is at your own risk, I would imagine they would be within their rights to confiscate the money, far better to have a money gram sent to you, or do an international bank transfer. You will not be taxed on the money, a friend of mine did an international bank transfer for 1 million pesos, there was no problem and no tax charged.