A °µÍø³Ô¹Ï woman is facing federal smuggling charges after allegedly attempting to transport weapons, including 20 rifles and part of a grenade launcher, into Mexico.
On April 19, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the DeConcini port of entry in Nogales arrested Migdelia Mendoza, 41, a U.S. citizen, after seizing weapons they say were concealed in her vehicle as she tried to enter Mexico, court records show.
The weapons and parts seized included four AR-style rifles, 16 AK-style rifles, one AK-style pistol, one RPG-7 launcher tube, 20 firearm pistol grips, 16 rifle butt stocks and 24 AK-style firearm magazines, according to the criminal complaint filed against Mendoza in U.S. District Court in Arizona.
A rocket-propelled grenade launcher tube is the firing mechanism of a Russian anti-tank grenade launcher; no explosives were seized from Mendoza's vehicle, a CBP spokesman confirmed.
People are also reading…
A cache of weapons and parts was seized earlier this month from a car a °µÍø³Ô¹Ï woman was driving into Nogales, Sonora, federal authorities say.
About 10:30 p.m. Sunday, port officers conducting outbound inspections stopped Mendoza at the DeConcini port, with her two minor daughters and a minor niece. Mendoza told officers she was traveling from her home in South °µÍø³Ô¹Ï to visit her husband in Mexico, court records show.
According to the criminal complaint, a port officer noticed black fabric under the rear seat during a secondary inspection of Mendoza’s vehicle, a 2016 Lexus IS 200t. After folding up the seat, the officer felt hard objects hidden under the fabric. A non-intrusive "Z-Portal" scan showed "anomalies" under the seat, and officers moved the car to a secure location to remove the rear seat, where they discovered the weapons.
Federal officials say they seized several weapons and parts from a car a °µÍø³Ô¹Ï woman was driving into Nogales, Sonora earlier this month.
Port officers "utilized an effective combination of inspection experience and technology to find these weapons and prevent them from falling into the hands of the cartels," said CBP's Acting Deputy Commissioner Ron Vitiello in the agency's news . "CBP prevented these dangerous weapons from wreaking havoc on the good people of Mexico."
Officers seized the weapons and Mendoza's vehicle. The three children with her were released to family, CBP said.
In a motion requesting Mendoza be released with conditions, as recommended by the District Court's Pretrial Services, Mendoza's attorney argued she’s not a danger or flight risk.
A lifelong Arizona resident, Mendoza lives in South °µÍø³Ô¹Ï where she's the primary caregiver for her two daughters, the motion said. She has a degenerative disc disorder and has held a job for more than 10 years, with no prior felony convictions. A misdemeanor conviction from 2006 "appears to be traffic related," the motion said.
Contact reporter Emily Bregel at ebregel@tucson.com. On X, formerly Twitter: @EmilyBregel
Emily Bregel
Border reporter
ICE agents question travelers leaving the US via Nogales ports
