CBP officers arrest a Virginia couple who illegally possessed handguns

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Buffalo port of entry, Rainbow Bridge crossing, arrested two U.S. citizens who each possessed an unauthorized handgun.

CBP officers encountered a 51-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman, both U.S. citizens from Richmond, Virginia, on May 31 after a CBP narcotics detector dog alerted officers to their vehicle. Officers directed the vehicle and its occupants to secondary inspection.

During the secondary inspection, officers discovered personal-use marijuana and two loaded weapons. Officers checked the National Crime Information Center database and determined that both individuals unlawfully possessed the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9 mm and a Smith & Wesson Equalizer 9 mm pistol in New York. The pair did not have the New York state pistol permits required to possess handguns.

"Our CBP K-9 officers and their detector dogs are trained to detect and intercept illegal activity at our ports of entry," said Acting Port Director Sharon Swiatek of the Area Port of Buffalo. "These arrests, along with our strong cooperation with the New York State Police, help us enforce firearm laws, keep unlawfully possessed and untraceable guns out of our neighborhoods, and support the overall safety of our streets."

The Virginia couple were taken into custody and processed by CBP officers. After processing, the firearms, along with ammunition and magazines, were turned over to the New York State Police for prosecution on felony charges of criminal possession of a weapon.

CBP's border security mission is led at our nation's ports of entry by CBP officers and agriculture specialists from the Office of Field Operations. CBP screens international travelers and cargo and searches for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, invasive weeds and pests, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation's safety and economic vitality.

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency. The 69,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We enforce safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation's security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.

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