Federal authorities announced Wednesday that two Mexican nationals were arrested in Colorado after being caught transporting ammunition—roughly 180000 rounds—in what officials suspect may be part of a broader transnational smuggling operation.
The suspects, 41-year-old Caesar Ramon Martinez Solis and 24-year-old Humberto Ivan Amador Gavira, were stopped on March 26 by Fremont County detectives in Cañon City.
The two men, both Mexican citizens legally in the U.S. on temporary visas, were pulled over after their van failed to dim its headlights, did not signal a turn, and had a defective license plate lamp—seemingly minor infractions that led to a major discovery.
During the stop, law enforcement officers found approximately 150 boxes of .308 caliber ammunition and 30 boxes of 7.62mm ammunition. Each box was labeled as containing 1,000 rounds, for a total of roughly 180,000 rounds packed into the white Chevrolet van.
According to an arrest affidavit, Martinez Solis voluntarily spoke to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents and waived his right to legal counsel. He told investigators that he and Amador Gavira—whom he claimed was his brother-in-law—had traveled from Mexico to Denver a day earlier to shop for vehicles.
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