Federal authorities seize four assault rifles and arrest one

Federal agents working southbound operations at Gateway International Bridge have arrested a Brownsville man accused of trying to smuggle four high-powered assault rifles into Mexico, said a CBP press release.

Francisco Reyes Martinez, 38, was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon and later charged with smuggling goods out of the U.S., court records show.

On Thursday morning, Reyes was before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald Morgan, who ordered he be held without bond and remanded him to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

The seizure took place when Reyes drove a 1985 GMC van to a southbound inspection lane and was referred to a secondary inspection area, CBP said.

At the secondary inspection area, CBP officers and U.S. Border Patrol agents noticed discrepancies to the vehicle’s rear quarter panels and had the vehicle x-rayed, records show.

The images revealed hidden compartments where the federal agents discovered four assault rifles, three .223 caliber and one .308 caliber. Authorities also seized five rifle magazines and one rifle scope.