C.B.P. News Release

CBP Seizes 4,000 Rounds of Live High Powered Ammunition during Southbound Enforcement Operation at Pharr International Bridge, Two Men Arrested

(Tuesday, August 24, 2010)

Pharr, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and U.S. Border Patrol agents working southbound enforcement operations at the Pharr International Bridge seized 4,000 rounds of live high-powered ammunition last Friday evening.

On August 20, CBP officers and Border Patrol agents working outbound (southbound) enforcement operations at the Pharr International Bridge came in contact with a 2000 Chevy Silverado pickup truck that was traveling south headed into Mexico. The male driver was identified as a 29-year-old Mexican citizen from McAllen, Texas and his male passenger was identified as a 20-year-old U.S. citizen from Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. A CBP officer referred the vehicle and both travelers to secondary for further inspection. In secondary, officers seized 4,000 rounds of 7.62 x 39 mm high powered ammunition that was found hidden within the vehicle. CBP officers also seized the vehicle.

The driver and passenger were transferred to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) for further investigation.

Hector A. Mancha, CBP port director, Hidalgo-Pharr said, “I commend our frontline officers for intercepting this amount of ammunition that was headed into Mexico.â€