A 19-year-old U.S. citizen was behind bars today accused of trying to sneak an arsenal of firearms - including machines guns - into Mexico through the San Ysidro Port of Entry, authorities said.
The young man drove into the inspection station in a silver Nissan 350ZX about 12:30 p.m. Saturday, according to Customs and Border Protection officials.
Agents decided to search the car, and while checking into a speaker box near the back of the vehicle, they found the weapons cache, which included five automatic guns, two pistols, numerous rounds of ammunition, 23 loaded magazines, 10 rifle slings and other gun accessories, officials said.
The driver's name was not released. He was booked into the Metropolitan Correctional Center in downtown San Diego on suspicion of weapons smuggling.
"Performing these outbound inspections keeps the guns and money that fuel violence in the border region out of the hands of drug-trafficking organizations,'' said Chris Maston, port director of traveler-processing facilities at the U.S.-Mexico line in San Ysidro and Otay Mesa.
