Arizona woman accused of trying to smuggle 8,000 rounds of ammunition into Mexico

PHOENIX — A Tucson woman was indicted last week for attempting to smuggle roughly 8,000 rounds of ammunition across the Arizona-Mexico border, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced Thursday.

Customs and Border Protection officers stopped the vehicle of 32-year-old Andrea Villalva on March 7, 2024 at the Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona. During their inspection, officers found eight “sealed cases of 5.56 XP193 rifle ammunition” tucked away near the “rear wall of the trunk,” according to a press release.

Villalva told authorities she would have been paid $150 per ammunition pack that reached her buyer in Mexico. She also said she had successfully smuggled ammunition into Mexico three previous times.

Conviction of smuggling from within the U.S. could result in Villalva serving up to 10 years in prison, paying a $250,000 fine and having three years of supervised release.

Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona Julie A. Sottosanti will be responsible for the prosecution.

Arizona woman attempted smuggling case part of bigger operation

This individual smuggling case is a small piece of the grander Operation Take Back America, a national effort by the U.S. Department of Justice “to repel the invasion of illegal immigration,” according to the release.

The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSNs) are also collaborators in this active operation.

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