Thursday, June 3, 2010

Laredo Police and Webb County Sheriffs Seized 147 AK-47 Assault Rifles Headed Into Mexico For Drug Cartels

File photo

By H. Nelson Goodson
June 3, 2010

Laredo, Texas - On Wednesday, both the Laredo Police Department and Webb County Sheriff's Department announced that a tip on Saturday led them to stop a truck believed to be transporting illegal weapons into Mexico. They were able to intercept the shipment near the U.S. - Mexican border.
A truck driver and a passenger were taken into custody when law enforcement officials discovered 147 AK-47 assault rifles, 263 high capacity magazines, 53 bayonets and more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition. The seizure is the largest weapons confiscation in a decade within Webb County limits, according to law enforcement officials.
Officials say the weapons were most likely heading into Mexico to help arm the drug cartels. Federal investigators have launched an investigation to determine where the weapons originated from, including tracing them.
Last month, Mexican President Felipe Calderon asked Congress to ban assault rifles and to help stop illegal weapon shipments into Mexico.
In 2006, Calderon declared war against the Mexican drug cartels. An estimated 23,000 people have been killed, since Calderon began to wipe out the cartels.
Today, the cartels have been feuding between them to control the multi-billion dollar border drug routes.

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