U.S. Border Patrol agents seized a cache of high-powered firearms that were in the possession of people involved in ongoing smuggling operations during a raid in Oxnard, California.
Border Patrol agents were investigating a Ford F-150 pickup truck that they suspected was involved in cross-border smuggling operations on September 7, according to information obtained by Breitbart Texas from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials. The Ford truck was tied back to the address of the Oxnard residence.
After obtaining a search warrant, the agents worked with other law enforcement agencies that were participating in the Los Angeles Multi-Jurisdictional Methamphetamine Enforcement Team (LA CalMMET). A search of the residence uncovered 10 AR-15 rifles, one semiautomatic centerfire rifle, one shotgun, one .50 caliber rifle, “numerous rounds” of ammunition and $10,000 in cash.
The agents arrested a 23-year-old woman, a 31-year-old man, a 23-year-old man, and a 35-year-old man in the process. The suspects were all reported to be Mexican nationals. Border Patrol agents determined that the 31-year-old man was illegally present in the United States.
All of the suspects were arrested and taken to the Ventura County Jail where they await formal charges for violating assault weapon laws. The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office will determine the exact charges to be filed.
“By taking these weapons off of the streets and out of the hands of the criminal element, our agents and partners made a tremendous contribution to the safety of our communities on both sides of the border,” Chief Patrol Agent of the San Diego Sector Richard A. Barlow said in a written statement.
Breitbart Texas Managing Director Brandon Darby reported in July that other high powered weapons had been smuggled into Mexico including rocket-propelled grenade launchers (RPG) along with grenades. The weapons were discovered to be in the possession of the Los Zetas cartel.
The Los Zetas cartel’s possession RPGs was revealed in a recent Breitbart Texas investigation into rival factions of the cartel using social media to taunt each other and to make threats, Darby wrote. In that instance, Cartel Chronicles reported, “In the most recent series of taunts, one faction of the Los Zetas cartel posted a photograph of what appears to be a Russian RGP-7 with the names of two rival commanders on written on the munitions.”
As far back as October 2015, Breitbart Texas’ Ildefonso Ortiz reported the Los Zetas cartel used an RPG to fire on a police headquarters building in Piedras Negras near the border with Eagle Pass, Texas.
These weapons could easily be smuggled into the U.S. by the cartels who have been involved in smuggling people from countries with histories of terrorism into the U.S., Darby asserted. The cartels have also shown willingness to fire upon U.S. aircraft as Darby reported in June 2015.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.