Arizona man arrested for smuggling guns, ammunition into California, sheriff says

INDIO, CA — An Arizona man is expected to face 45 felony charges Friday after he was arrested on suspicion of illegally smuggling firearms and ammunition across a state line.

Alexis Ayala Molina, 22, of Phoenix, is expected to face 29 potential counts of possession of an assault weapon, 15 counts of removing or altering firearm identification marks and an additional count of manufacturing or transporting an assault weapon when he appears in court Friday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, court records show.

U.S. Border Patrol agents stopped a vehicle traveling westbound Monday near Chiriaco Summit due to the vehicle's “suspicious and dangerous” actions, according to Sergeant Cameron James of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

During the stop, officers allegedly discovered a cache of 29 illegal firearms, including 27 assault rifles, a bolt-action rifle and a semi-automatic pistol with various ammunition. Fifteen of the weapons had obliterated serial numbers, James said.

Officers identified the driver as Ayala Molina, arrested him and determined the guns were being smuggled from Tempe, Arizona, to California, authorities said.

Ayala Molina was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio and held on $55,000 bail.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Officer Martinez of the Gang Task Force at 760-836-1600.