Illegals moving ammunition through Colorado and Wyoming

[funkymonkey1111]

https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/men-arrested-while-hauling-180000-rounds-of-ammo-from-utah-into-colorado/

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/04/01/prosecutor-challenges-release-of-twice-deported-immigrant-accused-of-carrying-18k-rounds-of-ammo/


Have you guys seen this? 180,000 rounds of .308 intercepted in Canon City, and another 18,000 in Rawlins, WY--and that's just what they've caught. I'm all for buying anything and everything you want, but two Mexican dudes buying 180,000 rounds of ammo at a time might raise an eyebrow....

[kidicarus13]

Failure to dim headlights. No kidding.

I call it rollin' heavy.98701

[Fromk]

There's certainly a lot to unpack here. What gets me thinking is if two shipments were caught because of dumb luck how many got to their destination?

Or was "failure to dim headlights" the reason they were pulled over on the paperwork for probable cause?

[APEXgunparts]

I have been following this story on another forum.
Looks like they were charged with a crime.

The two men in the van were from Mexico, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court earlier this month.
They had valid B-2 tourist visas and were charged under a rarely used statute: “Unlawful Possession of Ammunition by Alien Admitted Under a Nonimmigrant Visa.”

Richard

[TEAMRICO]

WHO sold it to them???

That’s the question.

[BushMasterBoy]

"Destined for Pueblo". I know what it was going to be used for. Nice police work!

[FoxtArt]

I too, really strongly they were pulled over for bright headlights. That specifically is an arbitrary allegation that is very difficult to disprove if someone has a dashcamera. It's also quite petty, not something most officers would pull someone over for.

It's an ideal reason to pull over what one simply feels is a "suspicious vehicle/person" whether tipped in advance, or not.

[Doc45]

Putting "I had a hunch" wouldn't go far in a report but saying the headlights didn't dim when oncoming is a vaild way to verify that hunch of a car "rolling dirty". Good on them for the stop/arrests.

[.455_Hunter]

What I would like to know is:

Was this part of "normal" cartel Class V logistic operations that just happened to get disrupted due to perp ineptitude or improved post-Jan 20 surveillance?

Or...

Something far more sinister planned for either north or south of the border?

[theGinsue]

Something far more sinister planned for either north or south of the border?

I read the story about the 2 Mexicans caught with the 180000 rounds the day after it happened and since then I've been wondering the same things.

[Great-Kazoo]

I read the story about the 2 Mexicans caught with the 180000 rounds the day after it happened and since then I've been wondering the same things.

They were on their way to an invite only, machine gun shoot. That's what my attorney would say. If i needed one, hypothetically of course.

[brutal]

Another failed group buy?

Too soon?

Also, did they pay the 6.5% ammo and guns tax?

[BPTactical]

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/77256/Screenshot_20250420_102853_Chrome_jpg-3521558.JPG

[Hummer]

WHO sold it to them???

That’s the question.


For me, the question is who were they transporting it for? The Iranians, the Chicoms, the Ruskies, or the Mexican mob?

[eddiememphis]

This is the exact reason we need ammo purchase limits.

Coming Soon!

[BushMasterBoy]

So about a quarter of a million dollars worth? That is alot of AR10 & AK bangfeed. I can't wait retire to a safe swamp somewhere.

[kidicarus13]

This is the exact reason we need ammo purchase limits.

Coming Soon!No, no, no, I have a better idea. A FOID card requirement!98702

[BladesNBarrels]

For me, the question is who were they transporting it for? The Iranians, the Chicoms, the Ruskies, or the Mexican mob?

In interviews with investigators, the men said that they entered the U.S. last month and purchased the ammunition at an unidentified gun store in Salt Lake City.
They told investigators that the bullets were destined for Pueblo, Colorado.

The U.S. Attorney?s office in Colorado said in a press release that the case is now part of Operation Take Back America, which aims ?to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.?

[crays]

I too, really strongly they were pulled over for bright headlights. That specifically is an arbitrary allegation that is very difficult to disprove if someone has a dashcamera. It's also quite petty, not something most officers would pull someone over for.

It's an ideal reason to pull over what one simply feels is a "suspicious vehicle/person" whether tipped in advance, or not.While I agree that failure to dim brights is "one of about 1000 random reasons" to be pulled over, it does happen in real life.

More likely to actually happen, than just be listed as the reason on the report, if the attending officer(s) flashed their brights multiple tmes as they appproached each other with no response from the civilian. Sometimes, the officer's attitude/mood plays a huge factor.

I wasn't there, so I don't know what actually happened in this situation, but real world experience of an immediate family member confirms the above scenario. Officer involved in that one had absolutey zero chill (female deputy with a huge attitude) .


Sent from my SM-A546U1 using Tapatalk

[FoxtArt]

While I agree that failure to dim brights is "one of about 1000 random reasons" to be pulled over, it does happen in real life.

More likely to actually happen, than just be listed as the reason on the report, if the attending officer(s) flashed their brights multiple tmes as they appproached each other with no response from the civilian. Sometimes, the officer's attitude/mood plays a huge factor.

I wasn't there, so I don't know what actually happened in this situation, but real world experience of an immediate family member confirms the above scenario. Officer involved in that one had absolutey zero chill (female deputy with a huge attitude) .


Sent from my SM-A546U1 using Tapatalk

Reasonable point. They definately have no chill there. I think it's my only ticket in decades... and they wrote it for going 2mph over. (no exaggeration, several years ago). I'm also wondering where the ammunition came from. Warehouse workers, fedex, sporting goods stores, all sorts of places have employees that might just call in a tip and a plate if a van of espanol loads up $250,000 in ammo. But who knows, maybe a mule aquired it a few at a time in advance, which may be more likely.

[BushMasterBoy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blpPitEkmBY

[crays]

... I'm also wondering where the ammunition came from...

I think that's a question a lot of people are asking. I know I'm curious about it.

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[copfish]

There was an ammo shipment of Aguila hijacked in Mexico 06/09/21 (https://insightcrime.org/news/mexico-authorities-on-alert-after-millions-of-rounds-of-ammunition-stolen/). I wondered when the ammo would surface.

https://insightcrime.org/news/mexico-authorities-on-alert-after-millions-of-rounds-of-ammunition-stolen/

[hollohas]

License plates are scanned and tracked. The gov knows exactly how many times a vehicle has passed in/out of Colorado, where and in what period of time. Same for other states.

Failure to dim headlights is the cause for the stop on what was most likely already identified as a vehicle involved in potential trafficking.

Cartels have relay points. Those guys were likely bringing it to Pueblo where someone else was probably going to pick it up and run it to Mexico. Guaranteed the driver has no idea what the final destination was.

[BushMasterBoy]

You should see this house! Forget ammo...oil!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDr7hzAqoNs

[kidicarus13]

Everyone has a side hustle these days, it seems. Some more profitable than others.

[stodg73]

Saw this on another video, what if the destination was Florence...

I think this was done last year in Mexico.

[Sawin]

Saw this on another video, what if the destination was Florence...

I think this was done last year in Mexico.
Like if you think they’re gonna try to break their homies out of super max?

That would be a helluva bold move, and make for a pretty crazy movie!

[stodg73]

Like if you think they’re gonna try to break their homies out of super max?

That would be a helluva bold move, and make for a pretty crazy movie!

Very bold and crazy......

[DDT951]

all sorts of places have employees that might just call in a tip and a plate if a van of espanol loads up $250,000 in ammo.

This is interesting and is not the only statement in this thread of similar nature.

Why is it that people think Mexicans buying that much ammo is suspicious and should be investigated?

I can see if people on here said the quantity should raise suspicion but why are people adding ethnicity into it?

If a white middle age guy buys a $250K in ammo and loads into a van, it is not suspicious and they?re right?

[JohnnyDrama]

That's a lot of 15 round magazines....

[eddiememphis]

That's a lot of weight. 9000 pounds in an old van?

That thing wobbled and weaved down the road like a drunk fat girl at Mardi Gras.

[theGinsue]

I can see if people on here said the quantity should raise suspicion but why are people adding ethnicity into it?

If a white middle age guy buys a $250K in ammo and loads into a van, it is not suspicious and they?re right?

First off, a citizen can legally buy as much ammo as they can afford. Now that this is out of the way, anyone buying 180,000 would be a red flag to me unless they are a retailer, it just isn't something a normal person would/can do.

But, with the number of illegals in this country, if the persons purchasing the ammo were clearly ESL (English as a second language) persons, I'd definitely be inclined to believe they probably weren't legal purchasers. This would be the case for anyone who's native language is Spanish, German, French, Russian, Chinese.... We have to be able to use the contextual clues in front of us to help us navigate daily life. Some of these clues are going to be race based by color of skin and by language/accent used. Additionally, the volume of ammunition being purchased would be considered. When trying to work within the confines of what is and isn't legal, all of the facts needs to be considered to help determine if something looks hinky or legit. If the purchaser(s) of that much ammo were middle aged white guys with apparent gang tats, I'd question the purchase as well. But again, given the sheer volume of ammunition these individuals had, a middle aged white guy or a senior aged school marm-ish looking woman would have raised my eye brows as it's so far out of the norm. If a younger to middle aged black, hispanic or Middle Eastern descent male, all of which spoke English with Americanesque accents, came to buy 1-2 thousand rounds of ammo, I wouldn't blink an eye. All of the facts of a situation matter, and that definitely includes race.





That's a lot of weight. 9000 pounds in an old van?

That thing wobbled and weaved down the road like a drunk fat girl at Mardi Gras.


That painted the picture beautifully.

[.455_Hunter]

First off, a citizen can legally buy as much ammo as they can afford. Now that this is out of the way, anyone buying 180,000 would be a red flag to me unless they are a retailer, it just isn't something a normal person would/can do.

But, with the number of illegals in this country, if the persons purchasing the ammo were clearly ESL (English as a second language) persons, I'd definitely be inclined to believe they probably weren't legal purchasers. This would be the case for anyone who's native language is Spanish, German, French, Russian, Chinese.... We have to be able to use the contextual clues in front of us to help us navigate daily life. Some of these clues are going to be race based by color of skin and by language/accent used. Additionally, the volume of ammunition being purchased would be considered. When trying to work within the confines of what is and isn't legal, all of the facts needs to be considered to help determine if something looks hinky or legit. If the purchaser(s) of that much ammo were middle aged white guys with apparent gang tats, I'd question the purchase as well. But again, given the sheer volume of ammunition these individuals had, a middle aged white guy or a senior aged school marm-ish looking woman would have raised my eye brows as it's so far out of the norm. If a younger to middle aged black, hispanic or Middle Eastern descent male, all of which spoke English with Americanesque accents, came to buy 1-2 thousand rounds of ammo, I wouldn't blink an eye. All of the facts of a situation matter, and that definitely includes race.


I agree 100%- We are not talking somebody getting "reported" for picking-up a few 1000 round .50 cal cans of 5.56mm & 9mm. Unless you are a known purchaser for an event like an established MG shoot or training facility, the quantities in the story along with the other factors you mentioned, should bring some scrutiny. If unfounded, it's unfounded, and that's OK.

[FoxtArt]

Kind of a simple fact....

Anyone buying that quantity of ammunition legitimately (all at once) is going to be a reseller, or engaged in the firearm business, somehow.

Legal resellers are going to be US citizens and, with perhaps, one or two exceptions in the country, are not going to be primarily speaking a foreign language.

Anyone selling fiearms/ammunition does NOT want to unwittingly be classified as an exporter of the same, unless they have gone through the lengthy process to make that possible (legally), and are engaged (legally) with international buyers. You do not want $250,000 of ammunition from your LGS showing up in a van, in Mexico... or Saudi Arabia, or anything else.

The same is true if a Brit speaker on a visa came in to buy $250,000 in ammunition. Hell...NO.

[Sawin]

The first thing that crossed my mind is that the drivers had simply picked it up… almost certainly they didn’t buy it. In my mind it made more sense that there has been a bunch of small purchases made by a bunch of different people, or it was from the theft/high jacking of a bulk shipment in the past, and they’re just trying to move it now…

[brutal]

Kind of a simple fact....

Anyone buying that quantity of ammunition legitimately (all at once) is going to be a reseller, or engaged in the firearm business, somehow.

Legal resellers are going to be US citizens and, with perhaps, one or two exceptions in the country, are not going to be primarily speaking a foreign language.

Anyone selling fiearms/ammunition does NOT want to unwittingly be classified as an exporter of the same, unless they have gone through the lengthy process to make that possible (legally), and are engaged (legally) with international buyers. You do not want $250,000 of ammunition from your LGS showing up in a van, in Mexico... or Saudi Arabia, or anything else.

The same is true if a Brit speaker on a visa came in to buy $250,000 in ammunition. Hell...NO.


I'm not contradicting your statement regarding large ammunition purchases, but just for clarity, a permanent resident alien and non-immigrant temporary resident aliens can own firearms.

https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/cjis/nics-ffl-tip-sheet-for-non-us-citizens-purchasing-firearms-august-2023.pdf/view