
Law enforcement officials in Cochise County have conducted a significant seizure of ammunition, with tens of thousands of bullets intercepted as part of a mid-January joint operation. As per details released by FOX 10 Phoenix, the bust involved two cars traveling from Phoenix, heading east along Interstate 10.
The operations, including the Pinal County Sheriff's Office and the Cochise County Counter Narcotics and Trafficking Alliance (CNTA), have managed to intensely crack down on trafficking of military-grade ammunition in the region. A vehicle stopped by Pinal County deputies contained 19,640 rounds of 7.62x39 ammunition, while the CNTA investigators located another vehicle at a Motel 6 in Benson which had 10,000 rounds of .50 caliber ammo, AZ Family reports.
Involved in the operation were three asylum seekers, including one from Cuba, and an American citizen from Texas. While the exact origins of the other two asylum seekers have not been disclosed, officials have indicated that all persons connected with the cache of ammunition are under investigation. Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are also part of the ongoing inquiry.
Though the investigation is still active, the insights shared by officials demonstrate an operational readiness to rapidly respond to and contain potential threads to public safety. "The vehicle containing the 7.62x39 ammunition was interdicted by the Pinal County Sheriff’s office. Still, the second vehicle containing the .50 caliber ammunition was located by CNTA investigators at Motel 6 in Benson," officials with CCSO wrote, according to the statement obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix. For now, authorities are keeping further details under wraps pending the outcome of the investigation.