Federal authorities charged two Alabama residents after intercepting what officials are calling the largest weapons seizure at the Southwest land border—more than 500 firearms allegedly headed to a Mexican drug cartel. The weapons were discovered hidden inside false-walled trailers at the Juarez-Lincoln Port of Entry in Laredo, Texas.
Emilio Ramirez Cortes, 48, a Mexican citizen legally residing in the U.S., and his son, Edgar Emilio Ramirez Diaz, were arrested on October 23. They attempted to smuggle firearms, magazines, and ammunition into Mexico using enclosed white box trailers pulled behind two vehicles traveling in tandem—one with Alabama plates and the other with Mexican plates.
Customs and Border Protection officers conducted inspections of the trailers and uncovered hundreds of rifles, pistols, magazines, and various caliber ammunition concealed in hidden compartments. Officials report the two men had previously smuggled weapons across the border on multiple occasions in exchange for payment.
Both men made their initial court appearances in Laredo federal court and remain in custody pending a detention hearing. They face charges including smuggling firearms, ammunition, magazines, and other firearm accessories, as well as trafficking weapons.
Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the seizure, stating it was part of a broader government effort to dismantle drug cartels and combat violent crime. She emphasized the importance of cutting off the illegal flow of weapons into Mexico to protect American communities from cartel violence.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas is prosecuting the case.
This operation is part of “Operation Take Back America,” a federal initiative aimed at eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations, securing the border, and protecting the American people from violent crime.
