Law enforcement officials in Blythe, California, successfully seized a shipment of firearms intended for criminal organizations, as reported by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in a recent press release. The detection of the weapons occurred after a K-9 unit signaled their presence to its handler. Subsequent searches by Border Patrol agents uncovered 25 AK-47-style rifles equipped with 30-round magazines, along with two handguns. The individuals in possession of the firearms, a 25-year-old American citizen and a minor, were promptly apprehended by authorities.
“Transnational Criminal Organizations traffic weapons to fuel their illicit activity on both sides of the border. This weapons seizure clearly demonstrates the importance of our Border Security mission and commitment of keeping our communities safe,” said Yuma Sector Chief Patrol Agent Sean McGoffin, who also emphasized that the agency remains “steadfast and vigilant.”
It has been reported that the weapons were en route to Mexico, as stated in the official statement. The finding was a result of Operation Apollo, a collaborative effort involving various federal, state, local, and territorial law enforcement agencies focused on addressing the distribution of fentanyl.
The issue of gun traffickers moving firearms to Mexican drug cartels has been escalating in recent times. According to a report by CBS News, the cartels have been illicitly importing a substantial quantity of weapons from the United States with the help of American individuals.
The report highlighted that the cartels utilize multiple networks to recruit Americans who are compensated for buying firearms from both physical gun stores and online sellers. Subsequently, these weapons are illicitly transported across the southwestern border by different individuals associated with these networks.
