CBP Firearms Dog Discovers Weapons at Douglas Port of Entry

May 7, 2010 - Douglas, Ariz. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped an illegal exportation of firearms when a special trained Firearms/Currency K-9 detected a cache of weapons being illegally taken out of the United States. On May 4 at about 11 p.m., CBP officers were screening travelers in the south-bound lane that directs traffic from the United States into Mexico. The officers selected a 2003 Chevy Silverado pickup truck for further inspection. The Silverado was being driven by a 22-year-old man identified as a Mexican national and resident of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico. With the assistance of a specially trained firearms/currency sniffing dog, CBP officers discovered that the man was attempting to smuggle three firearms out of the United States by wrapping them in a blanket and hiding them between the front seat and the cab of the pickup. The weapons were identified as a Mossberg 12-gauge pump action shotgun, an M-4 Eagle Arms assault rifle, and a Ruger 9-mm semi-automatic pistol.

CBP officers seized the vehicle and the weapons. The man was turned over to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for further investigation and prosecution.

The Office of Field Operations is responsible for securing our borders at the ports of entry. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers’ primary mission is anti-terrorism; they screen all people, vehicles, and goods entering the United States, while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel into and out of the United States. Their mission also includes carrying out traditional border-related responsibilities, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration law, protecting the nation’s food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases, and enforcing trade laws.

While anti-terrorism is the primary mission of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the inspection process at the ports of entry associated with this mission results in impressive numbers of enforcement actions in all categories.