MATAMOROS, Tamaulipas – Authorities arrested seven Mexican customs agents as part of an investigation into the smuggling of thousands of ammunition magazines from Texas into Mexico.

The arrest of the seven agents was the result of an investigation into information from within the agency about corrupt activity. The agents were caught trying to doctor importation documents and processes to claim that vehicles coming through the ports of entry were carrying electronic equipment. As part of the investigation, authorities learned that the vehicles were carrying thousands of ammunition magazines. Law enforcement authorities arrested the seven agents and transported them to Mexico City. Prosecutors charged the corrupt agents with violating multiple arm smuggling statutes.

Two factions of the Gulf Cartel have been waging a fierce turf war over smuggling routes in the border cities of Matamoros and Reynosa, Tamaulipas. The fighting led to numerous firefights that have gone on for months resulting in a steady demand for weapons and ammunition from Texas, Breitbart News reported.

Mexico’s new Treasury Secretary Ricardo Peralta announced the arrest claiming that the country’s Customs Office which falls under his control would be going through an extensive cleanup and vetting process in all the 49 offices throughout Mexico. According to Peralta, the vetting process will include background checks, polygraph testing, and financial investigations. The testing will be implemented in March and will be done every two years by members of Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office and Federal Police.