A massive seizure of ammunition was made by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the El Paso, Texas, port of entry on Saturday. The haul, which consisted of 92,900 rounds of large-caliber ammunition, is more than triple the amount seized by CBP officers in the El Paso field office over the past three years.
The ammunition was discovered on a commercial bus attempting to cross into Mexico at the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) port of entry. CBP’s Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team conducted an inspection of the bus, which was leaving the U.S., and uncovered the cache of ammunition in the cargo bay.
According to CBP, the ammunition was stored in multiple 27-gallon plastic totes that appeared to be unusually heavy. Upon further inspection, officers found boxes containing 59,900 rounds of.223 ammunition and 33,000 rounds of 7.62 x 39 ammunition.
The bus and its contents were seized by CBP, and the two male drivers were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations. Of the 16 passengers on board, one individual was found to be in the U.S. without authorization and was processed accordingly. The remaining 15 passengers were released and transferred to a different bus.
The seizure is a significant one, highlighting the ongoing efforts of CBP to prevent the smuggling of contraband, including firearms and ammunition, across the U.S.-Mexico border.
