LAREDO, Texas – Federal agencies are intensifying their collaboration at the U.S.-Mexico border to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of criminal organizations.
Officials with Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) held a press conference on Monday in Laredo to discuss firearms trafficking.
Donald Kusser, director of the CBP’s Laredo Field Office, highlighted the severity of the issue.
“These are guns that are purchased in the United States illegally and then transferred to smugglers across the border,” he said.
In the wrong hands, rifles, handguns and ammunition can be tools in major crimes.
The smuggled weapons are often used to commit acts of violence against rival cartels, law enforcement and even civilians, including elected officials and journalists.
Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of HSI said, “Everybody knows the gloves are off, and we’re going after these organizations.”
Many of the weapons intercepted by federal agents have been caught in vehicles attempting to leave the U.S. at Laredo’s Port of Entry.
Larrabee said the problem extends beyond the border, with many firearms sourced from cities like San Antonio.
“A lot of the organizations that start in Mexico have cells here in Laredo, but they certainly have cells in San Antonio,” he said.
In addition to intercepting weapons, federal agencies are also working to prevent straw purchasing, a practice where individuals buy firearms on behalf of others, often for criminal organizations.
Larrabee warned that anyone caught smuggling the high-powered weapons will face serious charges.
“If you’re providing these weapons to the cartel, that is now a material support charge,” he said.
In March, CBP officials discovered a total of 16 weapons, 26 magazines and 182 rounds of ammunition hidden within a 2006 Ford F-350 at the Del Rio Port of Entry.
Read more:
