A federal grand jury has returned a one-count indictment against a Tucson woman, Andrea Villalva, for Smuggling Goods from the United States.
The complaint filed in this case alleges that, on March 7, 2024, the 34-year-old Villalva attempted to exit the United States through the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona. During a physical inspection of Villalva’s vehicle, Customs and Border Protection Officers discovered 8 sealed cases of 5.56 XP193 rifle ammunition hidden behind the rear wall of the trunk. In total, 8,000 rounds of ammunition were recovered. Villalva admitted being paid $150 per box of ammunition that she successfully smuggled into Mexico.
Villalva also admitted to having smuggled ammunition into Mexico on three previous occasions.
A conviction for Smuggling Goods from the United States carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
IMHO, the intended recipients matters, from an American moral perspective. If she’s trying to arm a village against narcos (since the Mexican gov restricts self-defense, even though it’s written in THEIR constitution), then a fine and some community service seems reasonable restitution. Otherwise, well …
inspections going both ways is interesting – ON THIS SIDE OF THE BORDER – I’ve never noted that before