Accused smuggler remains in custody

Bond was denied on a 41-year-old Brownsville man accused of attempting to smuggle nearly 2,000 rounds of ammunition into Mexico. Mario Lucio Salinas appeared Monday before U.S. Magistrate Ronald Morgan, who ordered Salinas remain in custody of U.S. Marshals.

Defense attorneys had asked that Salinas be released on bond. However, Morgan declined to set bond on Salinas after he refused to be interviewed by PreTrial Services.

Morgan said he would reconsider his detention order once Salinas provided information to Pre-Trial Services, according to court documents.

Salinas was arrested last Tuesday at the Gateway International Bridge after federal authorities found the 1,947 rounds of ammunition in containers of laundry detergent in the bed of a pick up truck he was driving.

The seized 5.56-caliber ammunition is used in high-caliber assault rifles, authorities said.

According to court documents, Salinas said he was to be paid $100 for crossing the ammunition across the bridge.

Salinas also admitted to concealing the ammunition in the laundry detergent containers to avoid detection. Salinas also said he knew it was illegal to export ammunition and firearms from the United States to Mexico without a license.

No trial date for Salinas has been scheduled.

In a separate case, bond was also denied on 28-year-old Gilberto Leal, who authorities believe purchased 20 rifles and handguns that were to be transported into Mexico.

Leal also appeared Monday before Morgan, who ruled that Leal was flight risk and ordered him to be detained by U.S. Marshals pending trial.

Federal agents claim Leal was paid to purchase the weapons for a Mexican national, who under federal firearms laws cannot purchase guns in the United States.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement allege, from March 2008 to September 2008, Leal bought 20 weapons, including 14 rifles and six pistols from gun dealers in Brownsville, Harlingen, McAllen and Pharr.

According to court documents, Leal admitted to being paid $300 for each gun he purchased under his name. Leal said he was driven to the gun stores and provided the money to purchase the weapons.

At least two of the weapons, both .223-caliber rifles, were recovered in Mexico, court documents show. Traced purchases on the firearms revealed that Leal bought those two rifles in March and May of 2008.

lmartinez@brownsvilleherald.com