Overview
- The operation removed 138 firearms, including two .50‑caliber rifles, in an undercover action announced Thursday.
- Federal ATF agents led the raid with help from sheriff's offices in Lincoln, Union and Catawba counties and the Monroe Police Department.
- Seized weapons are being processed through the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network to trace origins and link guns to past crimes.
- Authorities say investigators found signs that several weapons may have been stolen and have not publicly confirmed arrests or a definitive cartel attribution.
- The seizure fits into a wider ATF push that has recorded tens of thousands of firearms and millions of rounds seized since early 2025 and could disrupt supply chains used by Mexican criminal groups.