TUCSON, Ariz. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a 23-year-old Phoenix area woman on the evening of Aug. 24 for allegedly attempting to smuggle 16 weapons and various ammunition magazines into Mexico.
Officers performing outgoing inspections at the Mariposa crossing selected a 2010 Toyota Tacoma for additional inspection. During the inspection, officers located numerous rifles and handguns throughout the vehicle.
Officers seized the weapons, magazines, and vehicle and turned the female driver over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Federal law allows officers to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
CBP's Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Homeland Security tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation’s ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.