Thread: El Paso: Ammunition intercepted at bridge; Juarense jailed

Ammunition intercepted at bridge; Juarense jailed
by Cindy Ramirez \ El Paso Times
Posted: 04/02/2011 12:00:00 AM MDT


Nearly 150 AK-47 magazines and 6,000 rounds of ammunition headed into Mexico were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers as part of the agency's southbound operations at the Stanton Street bridge this week, officials said.

Jose Guadalupe Hernandez Loya, a 38-year-old Mexican national who lives in Juárez, faces federal weapons-smuggling charges after the magazines and ammunition were found in his 1999 Chevrolet Express van, officials said. On Friday he remained in the El Paso County Jail without bond.

Chief Ruben Jauregui, public affairs liaison with CBP, said no weapons were found during the inspection. The contraband was found hidden in the upper-front roof compartment of the vehicle. An M4 magazine was also found.

"It makes you wonder what they're going to do with all those magazines," Jauregui said.

He said he couldn't speculate on whether the ammunition was linked to the drug cartels or the drug violence in Mexico, but he did say gun smugglers often "structure the contraband this way; they break it down into different pieces and shipments."

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is investigating. Greg Palmore, of the ICE Homeland Security Investigations public affairs office, said the agency doesn't provide details about its investigations until they are concluded.

A spokesman with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fire arms and explosives said he wasn't familiar with the case. Follow-up requests for comment from the ATF were not immediately returned.

The ATF has reported that 90 percent of guns recovered in Mexico have ties to initial sales in the United States, though the agency's statistics have recently been questioned.

In March, President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderón agreed to work more closely to fight drug violence.

Obama pledged to accelerate aid to help train and equip Mexican forces. About $900 million will be spent this year to help Mexico fight the drug war, White House officials said.

The latest seizure took place at 4:55 p.m. Tuesday while CBP and Border Patrol agents were conducting southbound operations at the Stanton Bridge. A CBP officer used his "intuition and training" to pull the van over for a secondary inspection, Jauregui said.


http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_17756197

CBP Press Release

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-233611.html