Latest news with #RogerMaier
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Yahoo
Woman caught smuggling 12 guns into Mexico at El Paso border, CBP says
A 33-year-old woman was arrested for attempting to smuggle 12 guns, 20 magazines, and other firearm parts into Mexico through an El Paso port of entry, officials said. The woman, a Mexican citizen, was driving a 2025 Volkswagen Virtus about 8 p.m. July 3 across the Bridge of the Americas international crossing, U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson Roger Maier said in a news release. The woman, whose name was not released, was alone in the car. Officers selected her vehicle for an "intensive exam," the news release states. An X-ray exam of the car revealed anomalies in the doors. Officers removed multiple plastic-wrapped guns and firearm components that were hidden in the doors. The officers seized 12 firearms and 28 magazines. Other items hidden in the car seized included rifle optics, buttstocks, and a handgun lower receiver, the news release states. The woman was arrested and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations agents. She is facing federal charges in connection with the failed smuggling attempt, the news release states. 'The intermittent pulse and surge southbound operations that CBP officers perform at area ports will often identify individuals attempting to smuggle weapons, ammunition, unreported currency and other violations,' CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector Mancha said in a statement. 'These important enforcement actions play a significant role in helping keep our border communities safer.' Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times. He may be reached at amartinez1@ or on X/Twitter @AMartinezEPT. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Mexican woman arrested for smuggling guns at Texas border
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Yahoo
Albuquerque man caught smuggling clandestine meat across border for second time
Mar. 29—Authorities say an Albuquerque man was caught for the second time this year trying to smuggle illicit bologna across the border overnight Thursday in El Paso. Roger Maier, a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson, said a 52-year-old man was caught with 22 "large rolls" of the Mexican meat, weighing 242 pounds, and "undeclared" painkillers hidden in his vehicle at the Paseo Del Norte checkpoint. Maier said the man, who tried to smuggle 55 rolls "of undeclared bologna" in January, could be fined up to $10,000 if found guilty in Friday's seizure. The man was also issued a $1,000 promissory note for the 60 tablets of the opiate tramadol found in his vehicle. "Pork products have the potential to introduce foreign animal diseases to the U.S., which can have a devastating impact to the U.S. economy and to our agriculture industry," CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector Mancha said in a statement. "It is always best for travelers to declare any items acquired abroad to help CBP stop the introduction of potentially harmful products." Around 2 a.m., the man drove into the checkpoint and said he had no "fruits, vegetables, and meat products" to declare, Maier said. The man was referred for a secondary inspection, and CBP canine Harlee alerted agents to the rear cargo area of the vehicle. "Agriculture Specialists continued their exam and located 22 rolls of bologna hidden beneath equipment in the rear of the vehicle," he said. "CBP agriculture specialists also discovered 60 undeclared tramadol tablets in the center console."
