EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – A federal grand jury has charged two men who allegedly tried to smuggle five high-caliber snipper rifles to Mexico last month, and prosecutors are seeking the forfeiture of the firearms, five .50-caliber Barrett long guns and four magazines for .50-caliber bullets.
Wednesday’s charges of unlawful smuggling of goods from the United States stem from the March 12 arrest of Oscar Sanchez Gonzalez and Arturo Martinez Aguilar as they allegedly attempted to drive to Mexico over the Calexico West port of entry.
A U.S. Border Patrol Intelligence unit was conducting surveillance at a Calexico, California, residence where illegal activity was suspected when a Volkswagen Jetta arrived and parked next to a Chevrolet SUV. The two vehicles drove away from the house in tandem and parked near the corner of Kloke Road and Cole Boulevard, court documents show.
Border Patrol agents allegedly observed Sanchez, the driver of the Jetta, step out and meet with the driver of the SUV. Agents say they saw the man “transfer multiple bulky items” from the SUV to the trunk of the Jetta. Both vehicles then drove off in different directions.
Agents followed the Jetta and witnessed it travel to the southbound lanes of the port of entry towards Mexicali, Mexico. The agents called on U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to stop the vehicle before it could cross the border.
According to a federal complaint filed March 13, CBP officers asked Sanchez if he had anything to declare and the driver of the Jetta said, “no.” Border officers searched the vehicle anyway and allegedly found several items wrapped in black tape. One of the packages wasn’t fully wrapped and allegedly held a firearm handle.
Sanchez and his passenger Martinez were told to exit the vehicle; a more in-depth inspection revealed the packages contained five unassembled .50-caliber Barrett rifles and four rifle magazines, the complaint alleges.
Such rifles are designed for long-range shooting and their bullets can penetrate armored personnel carriers, aircraft and radar dishes, according to the Violence Policy Center. A rifle with those characteristics was used by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel to shoot down a Mexican military helicopter in 2015, killing nine soldiers and law enforcement officers.
In an interview with members of a Homeland Security Investigations task force, Martinez allegedly said he had traveled from Mexicali to Calexico with his friend Sanchez. He said they went to the Calexico resident’s house, a cellphone store and then to a McDonald’s.
The complaint alleges he omitted being inside the Jetta when border agents observed the packages being placed in the vehicle’s trunk at the intersection. There’s no record of Sanchez making a statement.
Following Wednesday’s indictment, a federal magistrate scheduled a trial date-setting hearing for May 27 in U.S. District court in San Diego.
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