CBP Officers Seize Weapons Hidden Inside a Sofa at the Laredo Port of Entry
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Nov 18, 2009, 1 Comment
Courtesy Richard Pauza,
Laredo, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and Border Patrol agents at the Laredo Port of Entry intercepted 14 weapons, including long arms and handguns, and 200 rounds of ammunition hidden inside a sofa during a recent outbound inspection.
The seizure occurred yesterday when CBP officers and Border Patrol agents working outbound (southbound) inspections at the Lincoln-Juarez Bridge referred a 2000 Chrysler Town and County minivan driven by Paul Giovanni De La Rosa, a 36-year-old U.S. citizen from Medford , Minn. for a secondary examination. The driver gave a negative declaration for currency in excess of $10,000, weapons or ammunition. In secondary, CBP Canine “ Aras ” alerted to the presence of currency/weapons from a sofa that was inside the minivan. A non-intrusive imaging system scan on the sofa revealed anomalies inside the piece of furniture. CBP officers dismantled the sofa and discovered 200 rounds of 5.7x28mm ammunition, 26 magazines, and 14 weapons that included four 5.7×28 mm handguns, one Berretta handgun, one Sig Sauer handgun, three Ruger LCP handguns, four FN Herstal PS90 Carbines, and one AR-15 with a scope. The estimated cost of all the items seized is nearly $16,000. CBP officers arrested De La Rosa on federal gun smuggling charges and turned him over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents who investigated the seizure. CBP officers seized the vehicle and the undeclared weapons and ammunition.
“This seizure exemplifies the extraordinary work and commitment of our CBP officers and Border Patrol agents to accomplish the CBP mission,” said Gene Garza, CBP Port Director, Laredo . “Our ongoing and coordinated work with other federal agencies has aided in the interception of weapons coming in and out of our country.”
