A Mexican man was arrested trying to smuggle 11,100 rounds of 7.62×39 into the United States from Mexico.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers working at the El Paso port of entry stopped a 2011 Honda Ridgeline driven by a 32-year-old Mexican national as it crossed the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) international crossing. At the primary screening checkpoint, CBP officers decided to direct the Honda Ridgeline to a secondary screening station, where officers ran the SUV through a low-energy portal scan. It identified possible anomalies hidden in the Mexican vehicle. Last year, the machine was put into service to help identify vehicles trying to smuggle contraband into the country over the Bota international crossing.
After the system showed possible anomalies, a CBP currency and firearms detection canine searched the vehicle and alerted agents to possible hidden contraband. After CBP agents saw a trained detection dog detect something in the vehicle, the CBP officers ran the SUV through a Z-Portal X-ray scanner. A scan showed something hidden in the quarter panel of the Honda Ridgeline.
Usually, the contraband being smuggled into the country from Mexico is drugs, but this time, the Mexican man was not smuggling any illicit substances. The officers would tear apart the vehicle, where they would recover multiple bags containing 11,100 loose 7.62×39 rounds. These rounds are used in such firearms as AK-pattern rifles. Recovering this amount of ammo being smuggled into the country is highly unusual.
“The volume of this seizure is substantial,” said CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector Mancha. “To put this in perspective, CBP officers working in the El Paso area ports seized 15,678 rounds of ammunition in all of fiscal year 2021, 7,224 rounds in fiscal year 2022, and 11,205 rounds in fiscal year 2023.”
The flow of drugs usually runs from Mexico into the United States across the Southern Border. Ammunition, cash, and firearms generally flow south from the United States into Mexico. Last August, CBP officers working the same crossing seized 93,000 rounds of ammunition being smuggled into Mexico for drug cartels to terrorize the United States’ southern neighbor.
CBP officials are withholding the arrested man’s identity and information about who he was working for at this time. However, many assume his employer was one of the many Mexican-based drug cartels. The man was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and will be federally prosecuted for smuggling goods into the United States.
President-elect Trump has promised to fix the border and crack down on smuggling. One of the ideas being floated by the Trump transition team is to designate Mexican drug cartels as narco-terrorist organizations. The change in designation would take the gloves off, allowing the United States to use military assets to fight back against the brutal cartels.
This week, President Trump appointed Tom Homan as the border czar for his administration.
Every clip I see of Tom Homan in hearings and interviews makes me love this man more. Easily the best pick I’ve seen so far for any appointment. pic.twitter.com/7AXB1VktuN
— The artist formerly known as Sssy Semite ✡︎ (@bklyngirl42) November 12, 2024
Mr. Homan is the former Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and is a hardliner regarding border security. He believes the southern border is too open and pushes for a zero-tolerance policy for illegal crossings. He rose to fame after a legendary exchange with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) over separating families caught trying to enter the country illegally.
Whether President Trump’s changes will make a difference remains to be seen, but until Trump takes office, many expected border crossings to spike.
About John Crump
Mr. Crump is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people from all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons, follow him on X at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.
