West Virginia man arrested at Peace Bridge with illegal weapons

Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - A West Virginia man was stopped at the Peace Bridge and was found to have a number of illegal weapons on him after he had made a wrong turn.

Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Buffalo say they encountered a car driven by a 36-year-old West Virginia man this past Saturday. When officers requested travel documents, CPB says the passenger did not possess the required identification . Subsequently, both the driver and passenger were referred to a secondary inspection.

During the secondary examination, officers discovered an Eagle Arms AR-15 rifle in the trunk, 143 rounds of .223 ammunition, six 30-round .223 ammunition magazines and a Taurus G2S 9mm handgun.

The driver was taken into custody and subsequently processed by CBP officers. After processing, the driver and firearms were turned over to the Buffalo Police Department. The man faces felony charges of Criminal Possession of a Loaded Firearm and Criminal Possession of a Weapon.

"I am proud of our vigilant and enforcement-minded officers who use their training and experience every day to prioritize our mission and the safety of our country," said Buffalo Port Director Gaetano Cordone. "We continue to collaborate with our State and Local law enforcement partners to remove unlawfully possessed firearms from our communities."