Brownsville men jailed for gun, ammo smuggling
by Sergio Chapa


Two Brownsville men are behind bars after they were allegedly caught trying to smuggle two assault rifles and 1,430 rounds of ammunition.

U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Juan Jose Gonzalez and Martin Severino Vela at Brownsville's B&M International Bridge on Wednesday.

Court records released Thursday show that the agents had been invsetigating suspicious ammunitions purchases in McAllen when they spotted three men in a black Ford Expedition.

Agents followed the men to Brownsville and later the Southmost area.

The SUV then headed to the B&M bridge where customs officer performed an outbound inspection and the weapons and ammunition.

Court records show that Gonzalez told agents he received $6,000 dollars from a man known as "Pollo Feliz" to buy the weapons.

Gonzalez allegedly told agents he recruited Vela and the third person, Edgar Velasquez, to help out.

Both Gonzalea and Vela appeared before U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Ronald Morgan in Brownsvile on Thursday morning.

Records show that 19-year-old Gonzalez and 23-year-old Vela are American citizens who lived in northeast Brownsville.

Judge Morgan denied bond for both Gonzalez and Vela until a Monday afternoon hearing.


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