Arizona Teenager Arrested After Being Caught Attempting to Smuggle Firearms, Ammunition into Mexico

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents arrested an Arizona teenager who was seen on surveillance cameras trying to slip guns and knives through the border wall.

Agents from the Nogales Border Patrol station responded to the incident after the teen was seen approaching the wall and trying to force a large duffel bag through cracks on the border wall at around 1:45 a.m. on April 4.

According to Border Report, agents arrested the teen and recovered the bag, which contained an AR-style rifle, a pistol, two knives and multiple ammunition magazines.

Sean McGoffin, Chief Patrol Agent at the Tucson Sector, said on his X account the attempted gun smuggling was "a miss," and shared pictures of the firearms seized by CBP agents.

According to a CBO statement, the local resident teen was transported to the Nogales Border Patrol Station for further processing. The document added that Homeland Security Investigations is working with the Assistant U.S. Attorney's office to bring appropriate charges to the suspect while information and evidence from the case continues to be reviewed.

Three In Four Weapons Used By Mexican Cartels Come from The U.S.

Despite a major crackdown on the illegal flow of migrants along the U.S. southern border, gun smuggling continues to be a major problem for both North American nations.

According to a 2025 report by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), almost three in four firearms used by Mexican cartels (74%) are trafficked illegally from the United States, primarily from Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. The findings, part of the National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA), highlight the persistent flow of weapons across the border fueling violence in Mexico.

Northern Mexican states like Sonora, Baja California, Chihuahua, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas are the main destinations for these firearms. Guanajuato, in central Mexico, has also emerged as a hotspot for cartel-related violence, fueled in part by this illegal trade. Among the key trafficking routes, the Arizona-to-Sonora corridor stands out, as reported by El País México.

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case brought by the Mexican government seeking to hold American gun manufacturers liable for firearms trafficked into Mexico and used by drug cartels. The lawsuit challenges the broad legal protections historically afforded to gunmakers under U.S. law.

Mexico contends that American firearms manufacturers knowingly facilitate gun trafficking by designing, marketing, and distributing weapons that appeal to criminal organizations. The government, led by president Claudia Sheinbaum, claims that companies such as Smith & Wesson, Beretta USA, Glock, and Colt's Manufacturing Co. have ignored evidence that their products are frequently smuggled into Mexico.