Posted on 11/26/2006 3:46:11 PM PST by SandRat
An off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent was held for more than a day by Mexican authorities after crossing the border at San Luis with ammunition in his car before his release late Friday, authorities said.
The unidentified agent was arrested Thursday as he entered Mexico at the San Luis Port of Entry in southwest Arizona, said Raul Berumen, a spokesman for municipal authorities in San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico.
Mexican Customs inspectors found a bag containing 650 rounds of .40-caliber ammunition in the agent's 2006 Nissan Altima, Berumen said.
Possessing firearms or ammunition in Mexico is illegal and large warning signs are posted at border crossings.
Lloyd Easterling, a Border Patrol spokesman, said the agent was released late Friday and returned to the U.S. He said the agent was assigned to the Border Patrol's Yuma sector and said officials worked with Mexican authorities to secure his release.
"He was off duty and he was in his personal vehicle," Easterling said. He declined to release the agent's name Saturday.
Berumen and Easterling said a woman and a girl were in the Nissan with the agent and also were detained. Easterling said he did not know if they were also released.
Border Patrol agents are authorized to carry their firearms when they are off duty, but the agent was not armed at the time of his arrest, Easterling said. Agents also know they are not allowed to have weapons or ammunition in Mexico.
"That is the law in Mexico, so certainly they're made aware of it by several means when they move to the community," Easterling said.
A similar incident happened in April, 2005, when two U.S. Border Patrol agents from the El Centro, Calif., station were detained by Mexican customs officials at the Mexicali port of entry. Mexican customs inspectors discovered boxes containing 1,286 .40-caliber bullets and 10 .22-caliber bullets.
They were freed on bail after more than a week in a Mexican jail.
Mexico is AAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!
I use lay odds he was taking it to some of his Mexican law enforcement freinds. Or to some bad guys.
So is living in the US without documentation. What's the big deal? Laws aren't meant to be universally applied.
This poor agent must not have had enough or the right caliber of rounds to make the Federalis happy. Of course, when was the last time the Mexican Federalis took kindly to any U.S. border control-related issue. Mexican Federal Agents are a great bunch ...
"Mexican Federal Agents Accused of Murder"
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1364824&page=1
650 rounds? Surely he didn't just overlook them.
Hence the head cutting. If you can't indiscriminately spray automatic rounds you might as well cut everyone's head off...
The Mans name was Bean. He was a licenced gun dealer in the States. He forgot he had a box of shotgun shells in his vehicle. He spent 6 months in jail. His case went to USSC and he lost his 2nd amendment rights forever unless pardoned. The Repug Justice dept did not support him. Sad state of affairs.
Id had to do with the BATFE not being able to do the paper work and investigation for him to get his rights back because under Clinton the BATFE funds for this was stripped. Since the Feds do not provide the funds even though the law is on the books that the BATFE can restore a citizens rights they can not do so. Bush supported the Government in this case. It is sad.
“Peti-tion for Relief from Disabilities Under the FederalFirearms Act” is to be GRANTED.
I agree, this guy was just stupid.
Thank you very much for the info...
Now, to work on congresscritters to eliminate the "Catch 22" from the "law".
I know, I know... not much of a chance of that happening currently.
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