Federal prosecutors have charged a Phoenix woman after authorities say they uncovered a cache of firearms and weapons components hidden inside a vehicle headed for Mexico through the Nogales border crossing.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, a federal grand jury indicted 39-year-old Migdelia Irma Mendoza on charges of attempting to smuggle goods from the United States after agents allegedly discovered multiple rifles, magazines and an RPG launcher tube concealed inside her SUV.
Investigators said Mendoza was stopped April 19 while driving a Lexus through the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogalesduring an outbound inspection. Authorities noted that she had already passed several warning signs stating firearms and ammunition cannot be exported without proper authorization.
Officers reportedly became suspicious after folding down the vehicle’s rear seat and noticing nonfactory black fabric covering part of the interior. After detecting unusual objects beneath the material, agents scanned the SUV and conducted a more detailed search.
Prosecutors allege the inspection uncovered four AR-style rifles, 16 AK-style rifles, an AK-style pistol, an RPG-7 launcher tube, along with dozens of firearm accessories and magazines.
Authorities also said Mendoza did not possess the export license required by the U.S. government to legally transport the weapons and parts out of the country.
The case remains under investigation.
