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EL PASO, TEXAS – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the El Paso port of entry seized 11,100 rounds of 7.62 ammunition November 5, 2024. The ammunition was concealed in the quarter panels of a vehicle crossing the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) international crossing.
“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 seizure occurred at approximately 5:30 p.m. when a 2011 Honda Ridgeline being driven by a 32-year-old Mexican man arrived from Mexico. The CBP officer at the primary inspection booth selected the vehicle for a secondary exam after a Low Energy Portal scan revealed possible anomalies in the appearance of the vehicle.
A CBP currency and firearms detection canine searched the vehicle and alerted to the car. A secondary Z-portal x-ray scanned also confirmed anomalies in the quarter panels. CBP officers searched the vehicle and located multiple bags of loose 7.62 ammunition hidden within.
The driver was arrested for violation of 18 USC 545, smuggling goods into the U.S. He was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations and federal prosecution was secured.
It was the second large ammunition seizure at BOTA in recent months. CBP officers seized more than 93,000 rounds of ammunition in the southbound lanes of BOTA on August 17, 2024.