Man Indicted for Ammo Smuggling After Shooting Incident at Nogales Border Crossing

A man shot and wounded by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Nogales, Arizona, in mid-October has been indicted on multiple charges. Miguel Soto-Morando, 37, faces accusations including attempting to smuggle over 3,000 rounds of ammunition into Mexico, assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon, and possession of ammunition by a prohibited person.

The indictment, issued by a federal grand jury on November 13, follows an incident at the Dennis DeConcini border crossing where Soto-Morando was apprehended and subsequently shot twice by CBP officers. Authorities discovered 3,140 rounds of ATS 7.62x39mm ammunition, commonly used for AK-47-style rifles, hidden in the spare tire of his GMC pickup.

According to reports, on October 16 around 3:30 p.m., Soto-Morando attempted to enter Mexico in his 2000 GMC Sierra pickup. A CBP officer, utilizing a detection dog, noted a suspicious odor emanating from the vehicle. This led to the involvement of the agency’s Contraband Enforcement Team.

Upon further inspection, an officer identified only as K.M. detected an unusually high density in the spare tire. Concerned, he requested a secondary inspection before allowing the vehicle to cross into Mexico. However, as K.M. was engaged with Soto-Morando, the latter unexpectedly accelerated the vehicle.

The truck subsequently collided with a cement pillar, prompting K.M. to fall out. The vehicle continued moving, striking a metal gate before coming to a halt. In response, K.M. and another officer discharged their firearms, resulting in injuries to Soto-Morando, who was later transported to Banner University Medical Center in Tucson.

After the incident, the DeConcini border crossing was temporarily closed, diverting traffic to the nearby Mariposa port of entry. By late Wednesday, some northbound lanes reopened, although southbound traffic remained halted. CBP officers struggled to handle the spare tire due to its weight and subsequently examined it with a Z-portal X-ray machine, revealing concealed ammunition.

Soto-Morando’s criminal history includes a prior conviction for attempted possession of marijuana for sale in Pima County nearly eight years ago. Following a detention hearing on November 7, federal officials are moving to forfeit the ammunition involved in the case.

The incident has resulted in investigations involving CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility, the FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations. The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General has also been alerted.

This is not the first time CBP officers have been involved in shootings at the border. In February 2019, Angel Mendivil Perez was shot by a CBP officer at the same port of entry, leading to a lawsuit against the agency. The case was dismissed in October 2024.

In 2022 alone, over 9.4 million vehicles and 22.6 million individuals crossed through the Nogales port, which includes various entry points such as the DeConcini crossing and the Mariposa port.