U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced on Tuesday that officers seized a significant amount of weapons and magazines that were being smuggled across the border over the weekend.
Officers from the CBP Protection Office of Field Operations pulled over a Ford E-350 while conducting outbound operations, resulting in the officers discovering 15 weapons and 24 magazines hidden throughout the vehicle, according to a CBP news release.
Port Director Liliana Flores at the Del Rio Port of Entry applauded the officers’ “exceptional work” and said this seizure was due to the “strict vigilance” maintained at the site.
“A combination of officer experience, advanced technology, and tireless effort by our officers all contributed to the realization of this significant weapons seizure,” she added in a release.
The smuggling of weapons across the southern border and the subsequent seizure have become increasingly common in recent years, with CBP previously announcing the seizure of multiple weapons caches.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the agency recently seized two caches of weapons that were being smuggled across the border, which included a total of nine weapons, 260 rounds of ammunition, 24 magazines, and several “tactical accessories.”
Although guns are becoming common, the most frequently smuggled items across the southern border are likely still illicit drugs.
CBP reported on Tuesday that officers seized 40 grams of powdered fentanyl and 57 grams of fentanyl pills on Monday in El Paso, which were hidden in the rectum of a 47-year-old male U.S. citizen pedestrian attempting to cross the border.
CBP El Paso Port Director Ray Provencio highlighted the deadly effects of fentanyl in a news release about the seizure and how it can be devastating for a community.
“Fentanyl is a dangerous drug, and any exposure could be deadly but when it is in a powder form the danger increases exponentially,” he said.
“Not only is the smuggler at risk but so is anyone else in the vicinity if the packaging would be compromised and the powder became airborne.”