An Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper participating in Operation Stonegarden arrested a 24-year-old Nevada man and seized five AK-47 assault rifles during a traffic stop Wednesday morning on Interstate 10 near Marana.
The AZDPS trooper discovered the weapons after stopping a blue sedan for a traffic violation. During the encounter, the trooper conducted a search and discovered five AK-47s in the vehicle’s trunk, as well as a small amount of cocaine in the driver’s wallet.
After the trooper arrested the driver for trafficking of weapons, the rifles were seized and the case turned over to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The sedan was identified as a rental vehicle.
Operation Stonegarden is a Department of Homeland Security program that grants funds to other law enforcement agencies to enhance and strengthen border security throughout the United States.
