Border Patrol agents arrested a man and his 17-year-old brother in Blythe, California after a service K-9 detected a number of semi-automatic rifles in their vehicle.
Agents seized 25 AK-style rifles, two handguns, and ammunition magazines on Wednesday during the stop.
Jose Palma Almendariz and his teenage brother are now facing federal charges following the ordeal.
“Transnational Criminal Organizations traffic weapons to fuel their illicit activity on both sides of the border. This weapons seizure clearly demonstrates the importance of our Border Security mission and commitment of keeping our communities safe,” Yuma Sector Chief Sean Patrol agent Sean McGoffin said.
According to the Border Patrol, the raid was the largest in recent Yuma Sector history.
Authorities believe the weapons were originally picked up in Phoenix, Arizona, and were ultimately headed for Mexico.
Last month, American Faith reported that data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) revealed that almost a quarter of Border Patrol agents have left the agency under the Biden administration.
Between October 2020 and April 2024, 4,281 agents have left the Border Patrol.
In the seven years prior to Biden taking office, the agency lost an average of 996 agents annually.
Early retirements have also increased since Biden became U.S. president.
Between 2014 and 2020, an average of 257 Border Patrol agents retired early each year. Since 2021, about 529 agents have chosen to leave as early as possible.
CBP has over 19,000 agents in total.
