CBP Seizes 90,000 Rounds of Ammunition near U.S.-Mexico Border

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized more than 92,900 rounds of large-caliber ammunition in Texas on August 17.
CBP officers at the El Paso port of entry intercepted the illegal shipment on a commercial tour bus headed toward Mexico via the Bridge of the Americas in El Paso, Texas.
The seizure nearly triples the total amount of ammunition that CBP officers at the El Paso field office have confiscated during outbound enforcement inspections over the last three fiscal years (FY) combined.
CBP officers at El Paso seized 15,678 rounds of ammunition in FY 2021, 7,224 rounds in FY 2022, and 11,205 rounds in FY 2023.
CBP officers said two bus drivers, both male Mexican citizens, “depicted nervous behavior during the routine inspection.”
The drivers were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations and will face charges related to the unsuccessful smuggling attempt. CBP seized the bus after the incident.
This seizure occurred after the CBP’s Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team stopped the tour bus for an inspection just after 7 p.m. at the southbound lanes of the BOTA port of entry.
One of the 16 passengers on the bus was reportedly in the U.S. without authorization and was processed by CBP. The remaining 15 passengers were released and transferred to another bus to Mexico.
During a search of the cargo bay, officers discovered multiple 27-gallon plastic storage totes that “seemed very heavy,” according to the CBP.
Upon further inspection, officers found boxes of ammunition, including 59,900 rounds of .223 ammunition and 33,000 rounds of 7.62 x 39 ammunition.
The bus was seized by CBP officers following the incident.
“CBP’s primary mission is to inspect all goods and people entering the U.S. from abroad, but the agency will also perform outbound inspections as part of our overall enforcement portfolio,” said CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector A. Mancha. “The magnitude of this seizure is impactful. Had this ammunition fallen into the hands of transnational criminal organizations, the impact could have been devasting.”
“CBP officers working at the El Paso port of entry target all threats to enforce laws on the international border and make our communities safer on both sides of the border,” said acting CBP El Paso Port Director Albert Barnes.
Last month, CBP officers seized a large cache of weapons and ammunition hidden within the trunk of a vehicle of a suspected gun smuggler during a routine inspection on Interstate 10 in Chiriaco Summit.
A search of the vehicle revealed the stash concealed in two duffle bags, one in the trunk and another in the backseat. Agents from the El Centro Sector recovered 28 rifles, one handgun, 30 high-capacity magazines, and 2,210 rounds of ammunition.
This comes after U.S.-Mexico border agents seized 67 weapons, 69 magazines, and 33 rounds of ammunition hidden within a car at Progreso International Bridge in late June.
According to CBP data, there were 4,125 weapons and ammunition “events” from October 2023 to July 2024, with 819 of those on the southwest border.
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