Father and son arrested with 400 guns bound for Mexico

U.S. Homeland Security agents assigned to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 2 men aft seizing 400 weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition astatine a Laredo, Texas, borderline crossing past week.

In a little statement, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said the suspects — identified arsenic Emilio Ramírez Cortez, a ineligible U.S. resident, and his lad Edgar Ramírez Díaz, a U.S. national — were charged with attempting to smuggle weapons into Mexico.

The incidental took spot connected Oct. 23 astatine the Laredo Bridge 2 Port of Entry — besides known arsenic Gateway to the Americas International Bridge — aft Customs agents stopped 2 southbound vehicles towing container trailers for inspection.

According to Fox News, the inspection was ordered erstwhile agents noticed irregularities successful the trailer walls.

The inspection revealed that hundreds of firearms, including rifles, high-capacity magazines and ammunition, were concealed successful hidden compartments. No different details astir the seizure were made public, nor was immoderate transgression enactment named.

The seizure was portion of an ongoing Homeland Security Investigations cognition targeting weapons-trafficking networks supplying cause cartels and transgression groups successful Mexico.

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ron Johnson praised the bust successful a connection connected societal media, arsenic reported by Fox News:

“Another illustration of however nations moving unneurotic present results for the people. U.S. authorities seized 400 firearms that were headed to Mexico — and arrested those responsible. Firearms that volition not scope transgression hands. Shared information successful action. Delivering results.”

Additional arrests are possible, according to the integer level Audacy.com, arsenic authorities proceed to hint the root and destination of the weapons.

The paper Reforma reported that Thursday’s seizure is apt a grounds on the Texas-Tamaulipas border. The second-largest seizure occurred connected Sept. 6, 2023, erstwhile 270 weapons were confiscated astatine the Donna borderline crossing eastbound of McAllen, Texas.

Over the weekend, CBP officers seized astir US $738,000 worthy of cocaine astatine the Hidalgo International Bridge successful Laredo aft agents inspected an SUV attempting introduction into the U.S. from Mexico. Twenty-two packages of cocaine were recovered concealed wrong the vehicle. 

With reports from Reforma, Fox News, El Universal and Audacy