Two men have been taken into custody following the discovery of 30 handguns allegedly intended for smuggling into Mexico. The firearms were ingeniously concealed within a spare tire, uncovered during a routine inspection at the Texas-Mexico border, officials reported on Friday.

The seizure occurred at the Anzalduas Port of Entry, located in Mission, Texas, a border town. This operation was executed by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) earlier this week, according to the agency’s statement.

Authorities, including DPS special agents, conducted a search on a 2015 Chevy pickup truck around 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday. This inspection was part of a collaborative effort involving U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

According to a DPS release, the agents uncovered a cache of 30 handguns, which featured a 5.7-caliber FN Herstal. Alongside the firearms, 60 magazines and a speed loader were also found hidden inside the vehicle’s spare tire.

The individuals apprehended in connection with this case have been identified as Jesse Joe Camacho, 28, from McAllen, Texas, and Luis E. Torres Mujica, 30, from Guanajuato, Mexico. Both men were arrested when the hidden weapons were discovered in their vehicle at the border.

Jesse Joe Camacho, 28, of McAllen, Texas, left, and Luis E. Torres Mujica, 30, of Guanajuato, Mexico, right, were arrested after authorities said 30 handguns were found in a spare tire in their vehicle at the Texas-Mexico border.  (Texas Department of Public Safety )

According to a DPS official, the 5.7-caliber FN Herstal is known as a “cop-killer” weapon because the ammunition can pierce body armor. 

Investigators later discovered one of the handguns was reported stolen out of Austin, authorities said. The firearms were allegedly destined for Guanajuato in Mexico, where gun ownership is heavily restricted. 

The driver, Luis Torres Mujica, 30, a resident of Guanajuato, and his passenger, Jesse Joe Camacho, 28, of McAllen, Texas, were arrested and charged with theft of property and firearm smuggling, a second-degree felony.