Three men were found carrying 89 firearms meant for smuggling from the US to Canada.
US authorities foiled a cross-border smuggling attempt as New York State Police troopers stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation near State Route 90 on May 7. Upon inspection, a large cache of firearms, most of which were stolen, was found and none of the three had any license to deal in arms. Malik Bromfield, Faizan Ali and Kamal Salman were arrested and charged with multiple offenses related to the transportation of 89 firearms, with at least 17 reported stolen, and attempting to smuggle those firearms into Canada.According to court documents, they are all in their 20s and Bromfield and Salman, both 22, are Canadian citizens, while Ali, 25, is Pakistani. Each was charged with one count of smuggling from the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; one count of dealing in firearms without a license, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; one count of transportation of stolen firearms in interstate commerce, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said, “As charged, Malik Bromfield, Faizan Ali and Kamal Salman were caught transporting more than 80 guns, including short-barreled rifles and stolen firearms, for smuggling out of the country.” “It is extremely important for New Yorkers and Americans to keep illegal weapons out of the hands of criminal actors. The trafficking of dangerous weapons will be relentlessly monitored by this office.”FBI Special Agent Brian Jennings said that in addition to the weapons cache, soldiers also found approximately $3,000 in $100 bills in the glovebox.Jennings said, “The quantity and variety of firearms … is completely inconsistent with the possession of firearms for personal use and is instead consistent with the transportation and trafficking of firearms for sale and distribution.”During the search, all three gave inconsistent and vague statements. Ali consented to a physical search of an Afghan national and an expired Pakistani driving license.Jennings said the three were headed to an address near Hammond, New York, which is just across the St. Lawrence River from Ontario, Canada. The vehicle was spotted northbound on I-95 in Jupiter, Florida the previous day.