Agua Prieta Man Charged with Attempting to Smuggle Over 6,000 Rounds of Ammunition into Mexico

TUCSON, Ariz. - Jose Herrera Daniel, 56, a man residing in Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, was charged by criminal complaint on May 14, 2025, for attempting to illegally export ammunition from the United States into Mexico.

The complaint alleges that Daniel attempted to smuggle 6,399 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition through the port of entry in Douglas, Arizona on May 13, 2025. During a search of Daniel's vehicle at the port, a United States Customs and Border Protection K-9 officer, who was trained to detect weapons, ammunition, and currency, alerted to the vehicle. Officers then sent Daniel's vehicle through a scan that revealed anomalies in the driver and passenger side rocker panels. In a subsequent physical search, officers found thousands of rounds of ammunition in plastic bags hidden in the vehicle.

A criminal complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney's Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER: 25-MJ-9008-JEM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-077_Daniel

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona, visit https://http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/Follow the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.