DEL RIO, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Brackettville Station, along with local law enforcement officials, seized two separate handguns after searching the areas of two failed smuggling attempts, Oct. 26 and 27.
“Smugglers arming themselves with firearms is becoming a common trend,” said Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Raul L. Ortiz. “This poses a threat to not only our agents, but the community and those being smuggled as well.”
The first handgun was discovered on Ranch Road 693 near Brackettville when a Border Patrol agent, examining the area of a previous failed smuggling attempt, discovered a black backpack on the ground. Upon taking custody of the backpack, the agent discovered a Glock 26 Gen5 9mm handgun and a fully loaded magazine inside. The backpack and handgun were transported to the Brackettville Border Patrol Station for processing.
The second handgun was discovered by a Kinney County Sheriff’s Office deputy when he performed a vehicle stop on a Chevrolet Tahoe on Ranch Road 674 near Brackettville which resulted in a failed human smuggling attempt. As agents responded to the area, the sheriff’s deputy recovered a Smith and Wesson SD9VE 9mm pistol in the driver side door pocket of the vehicle. Kinney County Sheriff’s Office took custody of the driver, passenger and pistol. The four suspected illegal immigrants were transported to the Brackettville Border Patrol Station for processing.
The number of smuggling cases is on the rise in Del Rio Sector. Since the beginning of FY19, there have been at least 12 smuggling cases involving weapons, compared to five for FY18.
The Del Rio Border Patrol Sector is part of the Joint Task Force-West South Texas Corridor, which leverages federal, state and local resources to combat transnational criminal organizations. To report suspicious activity call the Del Rio Sector’s toll free number at 1-866-511-8727.