At the Del Rio Port of Entry, the vigilant eyes of U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have intercepted a significant haul of firearms and ammunition. The seizure, which transpired during an outbound inspection, yielded 16 weapons, including three 5.56mm AR-style rifles, 26 magazines, and 182 rounds of munitions, among them .50-caliber rounds, as reported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The operation, unfolding on March 17, marked the culmination of a routine but rigorous checkpoint procedure when CBP officers chose a 2006 Ford F-350 van for an intensive secondary inspection, an intervention that not only involved CBP canines but also a nonintrusive inspection system and which ultimately unveiled the hidden arsenal. In the wake of this discovery, local authorities have launched a criminal probe, and the Texas Department of Public Safety has taken the helm to unravel the potential networks and intent behind this breach of law and order.

Embodying the utmost commitment to national security and public safety, CBP officers at the Del Rio International Bridge work tirelessly in cooperation with state and federal law enforcement to filter the flow of illicit arms and ammunition, especially those sneaking across the border in the stealth of modified compartments in vehicles such as the van in question.

In describing the significance of this interception, Port Director Liliana Flores said, "Our frontline CBP officers take CBP’s border security mission seriously, and this large outbound weapons seizure reflects our firm commitment and resolve to uphold that mission," and with the weapons now in the hands of Texas DPS, the collaborating efforts between different agencies iterate the relentless pursuit to safeguard the communities that simultaneously straddle and are bisected by the US-Mexico border, amidst ongoing dialogues about border security and national safety, as per U.S. Customs and Border Protection.