More than 11,000 rounds of ammunition were discovered in a pickup seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Texas on Election Day.
The illegal ammo shipment was concealed in the quarter panels of a 2011 Honda Ridgeline crossing the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) at the El Paso port of entry.
"The volume of this seizure is substantial," said CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector Mancha. "To put it in perspective, CBP officers working at 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 vehicle, allegedly driven by a 32-year-old Mexican man, arrived at the border, attempting to cross from Mexico into the U.S. around 5:30 p.m. on November 5.
It initially passed through the primary inspection booth, where a routine Low Energy Portal (LEP) scan flagged "anomalies."
It was referred for a secondary examination, where a CBP currency and firearms detection dog carried out a search. X-ray scans also confirmed anomalies in the quarter panels, where officers located multiple hidden bags of loose 7.62 ammunition.
The driver was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations and will potentially face smuggling charges.
It was the second large ammunition seizure at BOTA in recent months after CBP agents uncovered more than 92,900 rounds of large-caliber ammunition in Texas on August 17.
CBP officers at the El Paso port of entry intercepted the shipment on a commercial tour bus headed toward Mexico via the Bridge of the Americas.
On November 1, officers at the San Luis Area Port seized a cache of high-powered assault weapons, when a 28-year-old U.S. citizen driving a Chevrolet SUV allegedly attempted to exit the U.S. to Mexico.
A dog alerted officers to the presence of weapons and five AK-47 rifles, five AK-47 ammunition magazines, two 50-caliber rifles, and two 50-caliber ammunition magazines were found hidden inside a speaker box behind the rear seat of the vehicle.
"Preventing the smuggling of these weapons into Mexico undoubtedly saved lives," stated Chris Leon, Area Port Director for San Luis. "Our CBP officers remain alert and keen to disrupt illegal activity that compromises safety and security within our communities on both sides of the border."
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