A routine traffic stop in Marana ended with detectives uncovering a cache of military-grade weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition that investigators say were likely being transported to Mexico.
Shortly after midnight on May 21, a detective with the Arizona Department of Public Safety’s Southern Narcotics District pulled over a Hyundai sedan on eastbound Interstate 10 for civil traffic violations, AZDPS said. Although the driver initially denied having weapons, detectives saw multiple firearms cases in plain view and conducted a search.
Officers found 10 firearms and about 5,000 rounds of ammunition, along with miscellaneous gun parts. The haul included:
- M240 machine gun
- M249 machine gun
- AK-47
- Barrett .50-caliber semi-automatic rifle
- Six Colt .38 Super semi-automatic handguns
The driver was identified as a prohibited possessor and was arrested at the scene. Investigators believe the weapons and ammunition were being transported to Mexico.
AZDPS said the seizure is part of ongoing efforts to disrupt illegal weapons, drug and human-trafficking operations and to protect Arizona communities from threats posed by transnational criminal organizations.
