(Ken Silva, Headline USA) NewsNation reported Monday that a cache of military-grade weapons were recently found on the Mexico side of the border near Ajo, Arizona.
“Weapons located, per the alert, include four rocket-propelled grenades and eight improvised explosive devices, also known as IEDs, as well as a large amount of ammunition. A scout site was also discovered and then dismantled by Mexican officials,” News Nation reported, citing an alert that was sent to Border Patrol agents.
According to NewsNation, the IEDs found are “consistent” with those being used by transnational drug cartels.
#EXCLUSIVE 4 RPGs and 8 IEDs along with a large amount of ammo discovered in a scout site in Mexico just across the Arizona border which butts up against the Ajo area of operation within the Tucson Sector.
Border Patrol agents are being warned of the “drastic escalation” in… pic.twitter.com/JCTcZhXcRT
— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) September 23, 2024
NewsNation’s sources said it’s unlikely the weapons would be used on American soil, since doing so would spark a major backlash from U.S. law enforcement. However, with cartels and migrant criminals becoming increasingly bold, the sources wouldn’t rule out the risk altogether.
“U.S. law enforcement should be concerned for their safety, especially along the border, because those missiles and those weapons easily come across the border,” Victor Avila, a retired supervisory special agent for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told the news outlet.
It’s unclear where the weapons came from. Last year, a Mexican news outlet reported Wednesday that an alleged member of the Cartel Del Golfo obtained an American-made Javelin anti-tank missile—the same weapon the U.S. has been sending to Ukraine to fight Russia.
That report, coupled with the recent weapons discovery, calls to mind the Operation Fast and Furious scandal, where the ATF purposely allowed illegal gun purchases under the guise of tracking organized crime. The operation never resulted in the arrests of any organized crime leaders, and it became a national scandal when Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed by a Fast and Furious firearm in 2010.
Former ATF official Peter Forcelli, who blew the whistle on Operation Fast & Furious, said earlier this year that he believes that the government is still allowing the streets to be flooded with illegal weapons.
Forcelli said that the Arizona U.S. Attorney is still hesitant to take “proffers,” which is when a suspect offers some information so law enforcement can determine whether they want to extend formal cooperation in exchange for more information. The USAO is supposed to answer proffers in writing, but the Phoenix office is only answering verbally to avoid having their responses documented.
“The U.S. Attorney is turning a blind eye to straw purchases, which is fueling what’s going on in Mexico,” he said.
“The prosecutors who work there haven’t changed their ways. They have a habit of kicking the can down the road and not taking straw purchase cases. These are not purchasers who are buying guns for target shooters. These are guys who are sending guns to Mexico to slaughter human beings.”
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.
