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Two Mexican nationals in the U.S. on nonimmigrant visas were arrested after authorities discovered they were transporting 180,000 rounds of ammunition from Utah to Colorado. 

The suspects, Caesar Ramon Martinez Solis, 41, and Humberto Ivan Amador Gavira, 24, were stopped on March 26 in Canon City, Colorado, during a routine traffic stop, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office – District of Colorado.

Two with Nonimmigrant Visas Arrested at a Traffic Stop

Detectives from the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office initially pulled over the white van due to a series of minor infractions, including failure to dim headlights, not signaling a turn, and a defective license plate lamp.

Upon inspection, they discovered approximately 150 boxes of .308 ammunition and 30 boxes of 7.62 ammunition, each labeled to contain 1,000 rounds.

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Alleged Trip from Mexico to Denver and Salt Lake City

According to an  arrest affidavit, Martinez Solis waived his right to an attorney and told Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents that the pair had traveled from Mexico to Denver to purchase a vehicle. They then drove to Salt Lake City to look at another car. While there, Amador Gavira allegedly purchased the ammunition at a firearms store.

Martinez Solis claimed he was unaware of the ultimate purpose for the ammunition but believed it was headed for Pueblo, Colorado, a city approximately 113 miles south of Denver. He also stated that the final destination was saved in Gavira’s phone, which authorities have not yet disclosed.

Federal Charges and Ongoing Investigation

Both men face charges of Unlawful Possession of Ammunition by an Alien Admitted Under a Nonimmigrant Visa, a federal offense. The charges are being prosecuted by the Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.

The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a federal effort aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling transnational criminal organizations and cartel operations.

The investigation is ongoing and is being conducted by the Denver Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

For more information about nonimmigrant visa categories, visit the U.S. Department of State’s CEAC portal.