A Kentucky man was arrested in Juárez after allegedly offering police a $1,000 bribe when two handguns were found in his car, officials said Wednesday.
The U.S. citizen – identified as 29-year-old Miguel T.T. – was arrested on suspicion of violation of Mexican federal gun laws and promotion of illicit conduct for the bribe attempt, El Heraldo de Juárez reported.
The man’s last name was not disclosed by authorities due to rules in Mexico regarding the identification of crime suspects.
The handguns were discovered after police stopped a blue 2023 Kia for obstructing traffic in the wrong direction on a street in eastern Juárez, El Heraldo reported.
Police arrested the driver, who allegedly offered officers the $1,000 bribe if they would let him go. The police department issued photos of two handguns and rows of $20 bills seized by police. The man was jailed pending trial.
The arrest of the U.S. citizen on gun charges occurred more than a week after a Texas state trooper crossed the border on the Bridge of the Americas while chasing the driver of a sports car to the checkpoint on the Mexican side of the bridge. The trooper, who would have been in violation of Mexican gun laws, was released. The Texas Department of Public Safety has yet to issue an explanation of the border incident.
It is a federal crime in Mexico to carry firearms or ammunition into the country. There are several highway signs in El Paso warning southbound drivers not to take firearms across the international bridges.
Source: El Paso Times