U.S. Homeland Security agents assigned to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested two men after seizing 400 weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition at a Laredo, Texas, border crossing last week.
In a brief statement, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said the suspects — identified as Emilio Ramírez Cortez, a legal U.S. resident, and his son Edgar Ramírez Díaz, a U.S. citizen — were charged with attempting to smuggle weapons into Mexico.
The incident took place on Oct. 23 at the Laredo Bridge 2 Port of Entry — also known as Gateway to the Americas International Bridge — after Customs agents stopped two southbound vehicles towing box trailers for inspection.
According to Fox News, the inspection was ordered when agents noticed irregularities in the trailer walls.
The inspection revealed that hundreds of firearms, including rifles, high-capacity magazines and ammunition, were concealed in hidden compartments. No other details about the seizure were made public, nor was any criminal organization named.
The seizure was part of an ongoing Homeland Security Investigations operation targeting weapons-trafficking networks supplying drug cartels and criminal groups in Mexico.
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ron Johnson praised the bust in a statement on social media, as reported by Fox News:
“Another example of how nations working together deliver results for the people. U.S. authorities seized 400 firearms that were headed to Mexico — and arrested those responsible. Firearms that will not reach criminal hands. Shared security in action. Delivering results.”
Additional arrests are possible, according to the digital platform Audacy.com, as authorities continue to trace the source and destination of the weapons.
The newspaper Reforma reported that Thursday’s seizure is likely a record along the Texas-Tamaulipas border. The second-largest seizure occurred on Sept. 6, 2023, when 270 weapons were confiscated at the Donna border crossing east of McAllen, Texas.
Over the weekend, CBP officers seized roughly US $738,000 worth of cocaine at the Hidalgo International Bridge in Laredo after agents inspected an SUV attempting entry into the U.S. from Mexico. Twenty-two packages of cocaine were found concealed within the vehicle.
With reports from Reforma, Fox News, El Universal and Audacy
