Federal agents intercepted three gun-runners just south of the U.S. border, resulting in the seizure of an arsenal of high-powered weapons hidden in two tractor-trailers that had crossed into Mexico from Texas.
Security Minister Omar García Harfuch issued a statement early Monday describing the bust of 210 firearms as a joint operation led by the Federal Attorney General’s Office and its Criminal Investigation Agency.
En Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo León, elementos de la Agencia de Investigación Criminal de la @FGRMexico, en coordinación con @Defensamx, @SEMAR_mx, @SSPCMexico y @GN_MEXICO_, detuvieron a tres personas que transportaban desde Texas, Estados Unidos, un arsenal de alto poder destinado a… pic.twitter.com/DwMLc8goa3
— Omar H Garcia Harfuch (@OHarfuch) August 31, 2026
In coordination with members of the Defense Ministry, the Navy, the Security Ministry and the National Guard, the three suspects were detained on the Nuevo Laredo-Monterrey highway near Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo León, 137 kilometers south of Laredo, Texas.
“This action was the result of intelligence and investigative efforts to identify and dismantle the routes used to illegally introduce weapons into our country,” García Harfuch said.
With the confiscation of the weapons — 195 long guns, 15 short guns and an undisclosed amount of magazines — federal authorities have now seized more than 30,000 firearms since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office on Oct. 1, 2024.
“Shared responsibility demands curbing drug trafficking to the United States, but also stopping, with equal firmness, the flow of weapons from the United States to Mexico,” García Harfuch said.
The Mexican government has recently intensified its calls on the U.S. government to stop the flow of firearms across the shared border. Both governments acknowledge that U.S.-sourced weapons are often used by criminal organizations to commit crimes in Mexico.
Earlier this month, officials reported that a U.S. government task force had broken up an arms-trafficking ring responsible for military-grade firearms being sent across the border to Mexico.
Additionally, news of the weapons seizure in Nuevo León comes just five days after the U.S. military reported using a high-energy laser system to shoot down three drones near the Mexico border that have been linked to Mexican cartels.
The exact location of the incident was not publicly stated, but U.S. Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commander of Joint Task Force-Southern Border, expressed gratitude to his Mexican counterparts.
“We greatly appreciate the support of our Mexican Army partners as we work together to combat this threat to the border region,” he said.
With reports from El Financiero, La Jornada and El Universal
