Authorities said Wednesday that two Mexican nationals travelling to the United States on nonimmigrant visas were detained during a traffic stop in Colorado last month while carrying 180,000 rounds of ammunition.
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office — District of Colorado, Humberto Ivan Amador Gavira, 24, and Caesar Ramon Martinez Solis, 41, both of Mexico, were stopped in Canon City on March 26.
According to an arrest affidavit acquired by the Canon City Daily Record, two Fremont County detectives had seen a white Chevrolet van go past them without lowering its headlights, which is against state law. According to the detectives, the vehicle also had a broken license plate lamp and did not signal when driving into a petrol station.
About 150 boxes of.308 ammo and about 30 boxes of 7.62 ammunition were found by the investigators during the traffic stop, according to officials. The label stated that each box held 1,000 rounds.
According to the affidavit, Martinez Solis consented to talk with special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and to forego his right to counsel.
Martinez Solis informed police that he had driven from Mexico to Denver the day before with Amador Garcia, whom he said was his brother-in-law, to buy a car. He then drove to Salt Lake City to view another car he was considering purchasing.
According to the affidavit, Amador Garcia purchased the ammunition when the guys stopped at a guns and ammunition store in Salt Lake City.
“[Martinez Solis] further explained that he did not know the intent with the ammunition but that he believed it was destined for Pueblo,” said the affidavit. The Colorado city of Pueblo is situated roughly 113 miles south of Denver.
According to the affidavit, Martinez Solis stated, the intended destination was on Amador Garcia’s phone. The destination was not specified by the authorities.
Unlawful Possession of Ammunition by Alien Admitted Under a Nonimmigrant Visa was the charge against Martinez Solis and Amador Garcia.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ Denver Field Office is assisting the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations’ Denver Field Office in their investigation.
The investigation, according to officials, is a component of Operation Take Back America, a federal program called “to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organisations.”
