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Border & Immigration

Smuggler Caught With 80 Assault Weapon Magazines At Border

By Tracy Greer / Digital Media Editor
Published December 18, 2012 at 7:33 AM PST
This story was published more than 12 years ago.
Empty AK-47 assault rifle magazines were seized at the port of entry in San Luis, Ariz.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Empty AK-47 assault rifle magazines were seized at the port of entry in San Luis, Ariz.

We know about Mexico's strict gun laws for civilians. And we know that more than two-thirds of firearms Mexican authorities had traced earlier this year came from the United States.

Here's an anecdotal look at the weapons smuggling process. A 20-year-old Mexican national was arrested this weekend at the port of entry in San Luis, Ariz. From the Associated Press:

Authorities say a man has been arrested for attempting to smuggle empty assault weapon magazines out of the U.S. into Mexico.

[Customs and Border Protection] say they discovered 80 ammunition magazines for AK-47 assault rifles in his vehicle.
According to the Fronteras Desk story from April,
The ATF notes that criminals used rifles more than any other type of gun, especially the AK-47 and AR-15 variants.

The AR-15 is similar to the .223 Bushmaster semiautomatic rifle used in Friday's school shooting in Newtown, Conn.

Border & Immigration
Tracy Greer
Tracy is a Digital Media Editor in Phoenix. The position satisfies both her inner tech geek and her passion for journalism. She previously held a similar position for the North County Times in San Diego County, California. Before switching to the news side, Tracy earned her stripes with more than a decade of experience in sports media. She covered everything from high school kids to pros and worked in print, television, publishing, sports information and for a youth sports nonprofit. She holds journalism degrees from New Mexico State University and Northwestern University, and is a member of the Association for Women in Sports Media (AWSM). A native New Mexican, Tracy has lived in four of the seven Fronteras locations: Las Cruces, Tucson, Phoenix and San Diego.
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