The US finds assault weapons hidden in couches on the border with Mexico

The authorities of USA seized several assault weapons, chargers, and telescopic sights hidden in futon-style sofas on the border with Mexico, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported this Sunday.

Agents from CBP’s Office of Field Operations (OFO) discovered the shipment during an examination of the U.S. exit lanes at the Del Rio International Port of Entry, which links Del Rio, Texas, to Ciudad Acuña ( Mexico).

These are eight semi-automatic weapons, eight magazines and two telescopic sights, CBP said in a statement.

“This interception is just one example of the work they do to protect our communities on both sides of the border,” said Del Rio’s port of entry director Liliana Flores.

The seizure occurred on May 25 when officers assigned to exit operations selected a truck that was traveling to Mexico and sent it for inspection.

The vehicle and trailer it was pulling were referred for a non-intrusive imaging examination and upon physical inspection of the vehicle and trailer the weapons and chargers were discovered inside the futon couches.

The weapons, chargers and riflescopes were seized and the case was turned over to special agents of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for further investigation.

Most of the illegal weapons that arrive in Mexico come from the United States, the largest manufacturer and the largest market in the world, which also has very lax regulations when it comes to purchase and possession.

Through the more than 3,000 kilometers of the border with the United States, 70% of Mexico’s weapons arrive, according to data from the Government of that country, which handles data from a study by the Ministry of Defense that ensures that between 2, 5 and 3 million weapons have entered its territory in the last 10 years.