Officers from the 3rd Police Station in Pedro Juan Caballero detained on Wednesday a Brazilian citizen and a Paraguayan who were transporting large-caliber weapons and a large quantity of ammunition in a pickup truck. The seizure occurred during a preventive checkpoint in the capital of the Amambay department, a border region with Brazil.
Those detained were identified as Nicolás Rachid Rossi Mahmoud, a 36-year-old Brazilian who said he was a rancher, and Marcos Fleitas Icasatti, a 28-year-old Paraguayan who works for the foreigner. They were in a Toyota Hilux when approached by police.
Inside the vehicle, officers found a Smith & Wesson MP-15T rifle with two magazines and 70 rounds of 5.56 mm caliber ammunition. Also seized were a Glock G17 9 mm pistol with two magazines — one modified to hold 31 rounds — and a Browning B-300 pistol, also 9 mm, with its respective magazines and ammunition.
All material was confiscated and sent to the Prosecutor's Office for forensic analysis. The firepower found drew the attention of authorities, especially as it is a border area often associated with organized crime and illegal arms trafficking.
The Public Prosecutor's Office reported that both detainees will be charged with alleged violation of the Weapons Law. The investigation is also looking into whether they have ties to criminal groups operating on the Paraguay-Brazil border, where cases of drug trafficking, contract killings, and heavy weapon circulation are frequent.