FBI arrests foreign nationals trying to smuggle 89 firearms from US to Canada

The FBI has arrested three foreign nationals attempting to smuggle dozens of firearms from the United States to Canada.

The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced the arrests of Malik Bromfield, Faizan Ali, and Kamal Salman. The three men were each charged with multiple offenses related to the transportation of 89 firearms, including 17 reported stolen weapons.

“As alleged, Malik Bromfield, Faizan Ali, and Kamal Salman were caught transporting more than 80 guns, including short-barreled rifles and stolen firearms, to smuggle them out of the country,” said US Attorney Jay Clayton. “It is critically important to New Yorkers and Americans to keep illegal weapons out of the hands of criminal actors. The trafficking of dangerous weapons will be relentlessly pursued by this Office.”

According to the criminal complaint, New York State Police conducted a traffic stop on May 7 after observing a Ford Explorer commit traffic violations. Troops approached the vehicle and encountered the three men inside, who gave “inconsistent and evasive accounts” in response to questioning. Ali consented to a roadside search of his person, where a trooper received an expired “Pakistani National Driving Permit issued to an Afghan national in another name concealed in Ali's buttocks.”

A police canine later conducted a sweep of the vehicle and alerted police of potential narcotics. During a preliminary search, troopers observed an unusually heavy suitcase that was found to contain a large amount of firearms.

The three men have each been charged with one count of smuggling from the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. They have also been charged with one count of unlicensed dealing in firearms, one count of transporting stolen firearms in interstate commerce, and one count of unlawful possession of firearms.

“These three defendants, including two foreign nationals, allegedly endangered our communities as they attempted to smuggle 89 firearms—17 of which were stolen—into Canada,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “The FBI is committed to working with our federal and state law enforcement partners to take illegal guns off our streets.”