EL PASO, Texas -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations officers working at the El Paso port of entry seized more than 8,000 rounds of ammunition Wednesday.

“Our primary focus is checking what is arriving however CBP also conducts outbound inspections to stop the illicit flow of money, weapons and ammunition going south,” said Hector Mancha, CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations.

The seizure was made at approximately 3:15 p.m. when a 2007 Honda Accord with two female occupants attempted to drive south from the U.S. to Mexico. CBP officers conducting southbound operations selected the vehicle for inspection.

Ammunition load.

CBP officers located 16 boxes of 7.62 caliber ammunition hidden under a blanket in the rear seat and floor of the car. Each box contained 520 rounds of ammunition. The ammunition was seized and the case remains under investigation.

While anti-terrorism is the primary mission of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the inspection process at the ports of entry associated with this mission results in impressive numbers of enforcement actions in all categories.