Customs and Border Protection officers manning the cargo lines at John F. Kennedy International Airport felt there might be something fishy about a shipment arriving from Hong Kong.
An inspection found a firearm suppressor that had been falsely labeled as an automotive fuel filter.
By the time the investigation was done, authorities had arrested a Connecticut man and seized 39 guns, 58 high-capacity magazines, five suppressors, three sets of body armor, ammunition and drugs.
Alexander Oranzo, 46, of Branford, Connecticut, now faces more than 100 criminal charges in state court.
“This is exactly the kind of major case that shows what is at stake in our cargo facilities every single day,” said Francis J. Russo, CBP’s New York director of field operations. “This seizure prevented a dangerous cache of weapons and explosives from remaining hidden in our communities.”
He pointed out that the operation took place during the Homeland Security partial government shutdown.
Mr. Oranzo had a felony record, which made possession of the guns and accessories unlawful.
Authorities made a controlled delivery of the package to Mr. Oranzo, then swooped in with a search warrant, according to local authorities.
The Branford Police Department said the 39 firearms included “three assault weapons, twenty-eight long guns, and eight handguns,” one of which was confirmed as having been stolen.
