Ammunition Trafficker Sentenced to 92 Months

A Nogales man has been sentenced to 92 months in prison for attempting to smuggle ammunition into Mexico.

On February 11, 2016, 41-year-old Gabriel Rivero attempted to export 5,517 rounds of pistol and rifle ammunition into Mexico by hiding them inside a spare tire in his pickup truck.

Rivero was stopped at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, and when United States Customs and Border Protection officers inspected the tire, they discovered the hidden ammunition.

Rivero was subsequently identified via video from the Port of Entry and arrested.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

The prosecution was handled by Angela W. Woolridge, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson.

Rivero was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Judge Frank R. Zapata to be followed by three years of supervised release.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, reminds the public that a conviction is not a factor in determining guilt or innocence, but rather a determination of a court. For more information, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ or follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ.

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