Texas DPS finds 30 handguns in spare tire
Texas DPS says special agents, working with CBP and HSI, seized 30 handguns hidden in a spare tire during a Wednesday morning inspection at the Anzalduas Port of Entry in Mission, Texas, and arrested driver Luis E. Torres Mujica, 30, of Guanajuato, Mexico, and passenger Jesse Joe Camacho, 28, of McAllen. Officials reported 60 magazines and a speed loader were also recovered, one pistol was stolen out of Austin, and the guns were allegedly bound for Guanajuato; both men face theft of property and second‑degree felony firearm‑smuggling charges.
📌 Key Facts
- Seizure: 30 handguns, 60 magazines, 1 speed loader concealed in a spare tire
- Where/When: Anzalduas Port of Entry (Mission, TX), ~9:30 a.m. Wednesday
- Arrests/Charges: Luis E. Torres Mujica (30) and Jesse Joe Camacho (28) charged with theft of property and firearm smuggling (2nd‑degree felony)
📊 Relevant Data
Between 2019 and 2024, 67.3% of firearms recovered in Mexico and traced by the ATF were sourced from the United States.
Firearms Trace Data: Mexico - 2019-2024 — Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
In 2023, Guanajuato had 3,746 reported homicides, the highest number among Mexican states.
Number of homicides in Guanajuato Mexico 2018-2023 — Statista
Guanajuato's population was approximately 6.27 million in 2022.
Mexico: population in Guanajuato 2008-2022 — Statista
The high violence in Guanajuato is driven by cartel turf wars between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Sinaloa Cartel over drug trafficking routes.
Mexico Peace Index 2024 — Institute for Economics & Peace
Between 2018 and 2023, Guanajuato recorded 387 police officer deaths, the highest in Mexico, at an average annual rate of 409 per 100,000 police officers.
Mexico Peace Index 2024 — Institute for Economics & Peace