Report: Rocket-propelled grenades, other explosives found near Arizona border

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) NewsNation reported Monday that a shipment of military-grade weapons was recently found on the Mexican side of the border near Ajo, Arizona.

“According to the alert, weapons were found, including four rocket-propelled grenades and eight improvised explosive devices, also known as IEDs, as well as a large quantity of ammunition. A reconnaissance site was also discovered and subsequently dismantled by Mexican officials,” News Nation reported, citing an alert sent to Border Patrol agents.

According to NewsNation, the IEDs found “match” those used by transnational drug cartels.

#EXCLUSIVE 4 RPGs and 8 IEDs, along with a large quantity of munitions, were discovered at a reconnaissance site in Mexico, just across the Arizona border, adjacent to the Ajo area of ​​operations in the Tucson Sector.

Border Patrol agents are warned of the “drastic escalation” in… photo.twitter.com/JCTcZhXcRT

— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) September 23, 2024

NewsNation’s sources said it’s unlikely the weapons would be used on U.S. soil, as it would trigger a major backlash from U.S. law enforcement. However, with cartels and migrant criminals becoming increasingly brazen, the sources wouldn’t rule out the risk entirely.

“U.S. law enforcement should be concerned about their safety, especially along the border, because those missiles and those weapons can easily cross the border,” Victor Avila, a retired supervisory special agent for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told the news outlet.

It is unclear where the weapons came from. Last year, a Mexican news outlet reported on Wednesday that an alleged member of the Cartel Del Golfo had obtained a U.S. Javelin anti-tank missile, the same weapon the U.S. has sent to Ukraine to fight Russia.

That report, combined with the recent weapons discovery, brings to mind the scandal of Operation Fast and Furious, in which the ATF intentionally allowed illegal gun purchases under the guise of investigating organized crime. The operation never led to the arrest of any organized crime leaders, and it became a national scandal when Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed by a Fast and Furious gun in 2010.

Former ATF official Peter Forcelli, who was a whistleblower on Operation Fast & Furious, said earlier this year that he believes the government is still allowing the streets to be filled with illegal guns.

Forcelli said the Arizona U.S. Attorney’s Office is still hesitant to take “proffers,” which is when a suspect offers information so law enforcement can determine whether to formally cooperate in exchange for more information. The USAO is supposed to respond to proffers in writing, but the Phoenix office only responds verbally to avoid documenting their responses.

“The US prosecutor is ignoring the straw purchases that only fuel the current situation in Mexico,” he said.

“The prosecutors who work there haven’t changed their ways. They’re in the habit of pushing the issue aside and not taking on straw purchase cases. These aren’t buyers buying guns for shooters. These are guys who are shipping guns to Mexico to slaughter people.”

Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him on x.com/jd_cashless.

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