3:44 p.m. Monday, April 23, 2012

ICE Agents arrest Texas uniform store owner

By Natalie Tripp
EL PASO, Texas —

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested the owner of a Central El Paso uniform store early Monday morning on charges of illegally smuggling ammunition into Mexico

KFOX 14 was at the scene as federal agents escorted Hector Ayala, 48, into the El Paso County Detention Facility. The owner of the Uniforms of Texas store was quiet and kept his head low.

The federal indictment, unsealed Monday, charges Ayala with two counts of smuggling goods out of the United States, illegally exporting ballistic vests and high capacity magazines without a license, and money laundering. Prosecutors allege the owner was helping transport 300 gun magazines and 800 vests with ceramic plates to Mexico between September 2009 and December 2011.

In December, federal agents raided Uniforms of Texas at 6601 Montana. Agents were seen loading boxes of ammunition, uniforms and other supplies into trucks, but no one was arrested at the time of the raid.

Ayala was initially scheduled to appear in federal court Monday afternoon, but the appearance was rescheduled for Tuesday.

ICE Agents arrest Texas uniform store owner | www.kfoxtv.com