TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Clearwater man was indicted for smuggling firearms to Mexico after being stopped for a vehicle inspection at the southern border, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Ivan Sanchez-Jorge, 39 of Clearwater, was stopped at Eagle Pass on Dec. 3, 2022 by Customs and Border Patrol agents, telling him he did not have weapons, ammunition, or $10,000 or more in cash.
When CBP inspected his vehicle, they found a .380 caliber pistol and two 12-gauge shotguns. The guns were seized and Sanchez-Jorge was charged with smuggling goods from the United States, court proceedings are pending.
Sanchez-Jorge’s charges were delivered by a grand jury in Del Rio, Texas, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
The case will be prosecuted by the Western District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office, according to a release from ICE. If he’s convicted, he’ll face a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.