DEL RIO, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Comstock Station seized a loaded handgun from a Mexican national illegally in the U.S., Feb. 4.

Agents seized a loaded .380-caliber pistol.

“Illegal aliens possessing concealed firearms pose a great risk to law enforcement and our communities,” said Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Raul L. Ortiz. “Thankfully the pistol was secured without incident.”

An agent traveling west toward Comstock stopped to assist a National Park Service Ranger who had encountered a 40-year-old male Mexican national illegally in the United States. A search of the man subsequent to arrest revealed a loaded .380-caliber pistol. The subject and the handgun were transported to the Comstock Station for processing.

During processing, record checks determined that the subject had been previously deported in 2010 from Atlanta. Investigation also revealed the pistol had been stolen from a nearby ranch.

The subject will be processed in accordance with U.S. Customs and Border Protection guidelines and will be turned over to Val Verde County Sheriff’s Office.