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A Brownsville man is facing federal charges after U.S. Customs and Border Protection caught him with nearly 1,000 rounds of ammunition, 10 magazines and a Mossberg International AR-style .22 caliber rifle, according to a criminal complaint.
Homeland Security Investigations special agents arrested Jairo Villegas, who was born in 2001, last Thursday at the Veterans International Bridge.
The complaint said he arrived at the bridge at 5:30 p.m. that day and when CBP decided to conduct an outbound inspection, he “exited the vehicle and moments later feld the location on foot.”
However, he didn’t make it far and was taken into custody and taken back to Veterans International Bridge, according to the complaint.
In addition to the rifle, CBP found nine assorted caliber magazines, a 50 round 9mm drum magazine and 990 rounds of assorted ammunition.
During an interview, Villegas said he has smuggled firearms and ammo into Mexico on 10 different occasions.
“Villegas added that he was transporting the firearms and ammunition at the direction of a subject in Mexico whom he knows is a Cartel member,” the complaint stated. “Villegas stated he is paid approximately $200 per delivery into Mexico.”
He made a first appearance on Friday in Brownsville federal court in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald G. Morgan, who ordered him temporarily held without bond pending a detention hearing, which is scheduled for Wednesday, court records show.
