2 suspects in custody after dozens of handguns seized at southern border

Two men were arrested during an investigation at Texas’ southern border after authorities found 30 handguns inside a spare tire allegedly destined for Mexico, authorities said Friday.

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) seized guns this week at the Anzalduas Port of Entry in Mission, a town on the Texas-Mexico border, the agency said.

DPS special agents searched a 2015 Chevy pickup as part of a multi-agency task force with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.

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“During the inspection, special agents discovered 30 handguns, including a 5.7 caliber FN Herstal, 60 magazines and a speed loader hidden inside the vehicle’s spare tire,” a DPS news release stated.

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Jesse Joe Camacho, 28, of McAllen, Texas, left, and Luis E. Torres Mujica, 30, of Guanajuato, Mexico, right, were arrested after authorities said 30 handguns were found in the spare tire of their vehicle at the Texas-Mexico border. (Texas Department of Public Safety)

The 5.7-caliber FN Herstal is known as the “cop killer” gun because its ammunition can penetrate body armor, according to a DPS official.

Investigators later discovered one of the handguns had been reported stolen from Austin, authorities said. The firearms were allegedly shipped to Guanajuato in Mexico, where gun ownership is heavily restricted.

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The driver, Luis Torres Mujica, 30, a Guanajuato resident, and his passenger, Jesse Joe Camacho, 28, of McAllen, Texas, were arrested and charged with theft of property and trafficking in a firearm, a second-degree felony.