A Mexican national is facing up to a decade behind bars after a federal grand jury indicted him for attempting to smuggle ammunition from the U.S. into Mexico, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced. According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's office, Fabian Osiel Flores-Morales was busted trying to sneak out of the country with a small arsenal discreetly stashed in his vehicle.
On March 21, Border Patrol agents at the International Port of Entry in Los Indios stopped Flores-Morales while he was driving a 2009 Dodge Ram. During the inspection, officers found approximately 250 rounds of 9mm ammo, 150 rounds of .45 caliber, and 200 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. Federal prosecutors allege Flores-Morales did not possess the necessary license to export firearms or ammunition, nor had he made an attempt to apply for one.
This transgression, should it lead to a conviction, carries significant weight: Flores-Morales could land a maximum fine of $250,000 and, up to 10 years in federal prison. Currently held without bail, he awaits his arraignment with the charges hanging over him like a specter. The investigation which led to the indictment was jointly headed by Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection, with Assistant U.S. Attorney David Coronado leading the prosecution.
Flores-Morales' alleged attempt to ferry across the border such a quantity of ammo highlights the ongoing issues of arms trafficking that continue to challenge law enforcement at our borders. The uncovered stash of bullets underscores not only the vigilance of border patrol agents but, the persistent flow of illegal goods that seeks to breach the margins of our land's legal economies. His fate now lies in the hands of the legal system, with a court date that will ultimately determine the repercussions of this illicit undertaking.
