United States authorities seized 43,000 rounds of ammunition that were allegedly destined for Mexico, during an operation carried out at the Mariposa port of entry, in Nogales, Arizona.

The seizure was announced by the US ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson, who highlighted the action as part of efforts to combat illegal arms trafficking into Mexican territory.

According to information released by the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the seizure occurred during two different inspections carried out at the border crossing.

In the first case, officers located approximately 15,000 cartridges distributed in 40 boxes inside a vehicle; Later, in a second search, they found another 44 boxes containing nearly 28,000 7.62×39 caliber cartridges.

US authorities noted that the discovery was possible thanks to the use of advanced non-intrusive inspection technology, used to detect illicit goods at border crossings.

Through his social networks, Johnson stated that the seizure “reaffirms the commitment” of the United States government to stop the illegal flow of weapons and limit the operational capacity of criminal groups. Likewise, he highlighted the coordination between various border security agencies to detect this type of shipments.

The diplomat added that bilateral cooperation on security continues to be a key element to confront cross-border trafficking of weapons and ammunition, a phenomenon that has been pointed out by Mexican authorities as one of the factors that strengthen criminal organizations.

To date, no details have been released about the detained persons or the specific origin and destination of the seized ammunition. Investigations continue by US authorities.