Posted on 08/10/2006 9:09:23 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
McALLEN, Texas -- A 42-year-old Mexican woman is accused of trying to smuggle 13,000 rounds of ammunition into Mexico, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
Balbina Morales-Oscoy, of Posa Rica, Veracruz, was arrested at the Pharr international bridge Aug. 4 after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers said they found 19 boxes of .22-caliber ammunition and about 2,500 rounds of .38 Super ammunition concealed in soft drink boxes in the vehicle she was driving.
She was charged with conspiracy to export defense articles, a felony.
A federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigation began Aug. 2, after ICE agents received information from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives regarding a vehicle with Mexican plates suspected of being used to export ammunition.
ICE agents said they watched Morales-Oscoy as she drove to various locations and bought ammunition and groceries, then stopped at a residence and unloaded and reloaded groceries into a minivan.
CBP officers at the international bridge found the ammunition and detained her. She has been in federal custody pending a detention hearing Thursday.
If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.
Isn't it a violation of export laws?
Wal*Mart often sells .22 cal ammunition loose-packed in a small box containing 550 rounds ... 19 * 550 + 2500 = 12950 ... awfully close to 13000.
My first thought that she is a Code Pinko groupie of Obragore.
I dunno, not familiar with the law... just seems wierd.
26 bricks of .22 LR? I'm thinking I have that much stashed in the basement. The .38 Super is a little curious. It's a very popular competition caliber but a little light (and loud) for nefarious purposes. My guess is that this stuff was for sale and that this was a genuine smuggler who had a specific customer in mind.
Out of the country? That's nothing. Try taking your legally-owned personal property into New York City or Chicago. You'd be charged just the same.
No such thing as FOID card in the free states. You must be from one of the nasty little police states in the northeast or the nastly little corrupt dictatorship called Illinois.
Actually you can buy 22 in 550 round boxes. I go through two of them at a time.
So 19x550 = 10450 + 2500 = 12950. Close enough for gov't work.
you can shoot that many rounds on refried beans....
Beat me by 4 minutes. Guess that's what I get for taking a phone call while I'm posting.
Freakin' amazing isn't it?
Great we can stop .22 ammo from going to Mexico but we can't stop ... Oh never mind.
That is about one month of weekend plinking for many normal US citizens or about one hour of squirrel hunting.
13,000 rounds an hour squirrel hunting? Maybe it would be cheaper to call in some airburst artillery and just pick the squirrel bits off the ground when the fire mission is done.
"Finally, does anyone not believe this was intended to re-supply drug cartel muscle? Please."
Drug cartel goons would be laughed out of town were they seen sporting .22 pistols. Last time I was in mexico, I saw that local law enforcement was carrying HK-91 battle rifles. Shooting a .22 at one of those guys would be like bringing a knife to a gunfight. Neither .22 or 38 super is the weapon of choice in such circles. Not even close.
PS - I have bought more ammo than that. Don't even know what a FOID card is.
Ammo Runner Ping!
.38 Super is (used to be?) fairly popular in Mexico, where 9mm Para and .45 ACP are banned as "military calibers".
Where do you hunt?? Knob Creek??
You did not answer the question, Why is this illegal?.......
I saw that place on Mail Call. The night time shooting looked pretty cool. Tracer rounds all over the place.
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