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2024-08-24 -Lurid Crime Tales-

Border patrol seizes over 90,000 ammo rounds

[JustTheNews] Officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized more than 90,000 rounds of large-caliber ammo on Saturday. CBP officers intercepted the illicit shipment on a commercial tour bus headed toward Mexico via the Bridge of the Americas in El Paso, Texas.

Toward Mexico? Surely they can make their own more cheaply down there…

"The seizure almost triples the amount of ammunition CBP officers performing outbound enforcement inspections at the El Paso field office have made during the last three fiscal years (FY) combined," according to a CBP blurb.

CBP reports having "seized 15,678 rounds in FY 2021, 7,224 rounds in FY 2022 and 11,205 rounds in FY 2023."

Although CBP's primary focus is intercepting inbound contraband, "the agency will also perform outbound inspections as part of our overall enforcement portfolio."

"The magnitude of this seizure is impactful," CBP said. "Had this ammunition fallen into the hands of transnational criminal organizations the impact could have been devasting."

CBP officers seized the ammo shortly after 7 PM on Saturday "when members of CBP’s Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team (ATCET) initiated an operation at the southbound lanes of the BOTA port of entry."

CBP selected a Mexico-bound commercial tour bus for secondary inspection after "officers noted that the two bus drivers depicted nervous behavior during the routine inspection."

The secondary inspection revealed "multiple 27-gallon plastic storage totes that seemed very heavy."

"Upon inspection of the totes they were found to contain boxes of ammunition A total of 59,900 rounds of .223 ammunition and 33,000 rounds 7.62 x 39 ammunition were seized," CBP said.

Homeland Security Investigations arrested the drivers, who "will face charges related to the failed smuggling attempt."

"CBP seized the bus," which had 16 passengers. A passenger in the U.S. illegally was processed. The remaining passengers "were released and continued their journey on a different bus."

Interesting times.

Posted by Skidmark 2024-08-24 05:44|| || Front Page|| [11144 views ] Top
File under: Migrants/Illegal Immigrants

#1
Did the Democrats ship it ?😇

Posted by NN2N1 2024-08-24 13:18|| 2024-08-24 13:18|| Front Page Top

#2 Thought experiment: Consider this from a military logistics perspective. If you are going to conduct major clandestine ground ops into the US from Mexico, and expect to have significant expenditure of ammunition, would you want your lines of supply (MSR) north of you? Your major supply depot(s) should be in Mexico, safe from interdiction, akin to the Viet Cong Laos sites in the Viet Nam era.

As for why it is being imported into Mexico from the US, the Mexican government has undoubtedly got very good awareness of large ammunition production facilities in Mexico and how/by whom it is being purchased, but little to no visibility of what is being bought in bulk in the US and sent south.

Posted by NoMoreBS 2024-08-24 13:20|| 2024-08-24 13:20|| Front Page Top

#3 ^There's a government in Mexico? I thought they're like Lebanon.

Posted by Grom the Reflective 2024-08-24 13:26|| 2024-08-24 13:26|| Front Page Top

#4 Eric Holder (D-Contempt) is running a side biz?

Posted by Frank G 2024-08-24 13:45|| 2024-08-24 13:45|| Front Page Top

#5 Define high caliber.

Posted by Deacon Blues 2024-08-24 13:57|| 2024-08-24 13:57|| Front Page Top

#6 Article sez 223 and 7.62x39. Not really large

Posted by BrerRabbit 2024-08-24 15:19|| 2024-08-24 15:19|| Front Page Top

#7 *A passenger in the U.S. illegally was processed.". But not charged.

Posted by Glavinter Peacock7962 2024-08-24 15:32|| 2024-08-24 15:32|| Front Page Top

#8 Got curious so I figured that haul was in excess of 3200 lbs. Wonder what tipped them off?

Posted by BrerRabbit 2024-08-24 15:36|| 2024-08-24 15:36|| Front Page Top

#9 Project Eldest Son

During the Vietnam War, the United States' Studies and Observation Group (SOG) conducted a covert operation called Project Eldest Son, which involved placing exploding cartridges into supplies used by communist combat forces. The project, also known as "Italian Green" or "Pole Bean", involved assembling 11,565 7.62×39mm cartridges for AK-47 rifles, 556 12.7×108mm heavy machine gun cartridges, and 1,968 82mm Type 67 mortar shells. The cartridges were designed to detonate when the weapons were fired, and were an example of unconventional warfare.

I have it on good authority that variations on the 'Eldest Son' theme took place in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Posted by Besoeker 2024-08-24 15:36|| 2024-08-24 15:36|| Front Page Top

#10 #9 Did it work in any of the 3 cases?

Posted by Grom the Reflective 2024-08-24 15:48|| 2024-08-24 15:48|| Front Page Top

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