On January 27th, NASCAR driver Kyle Busch was flagged by authorities at a private flight terminal of Airport Cancun International for possession of a firearm. Busch and his wife were returning from vacation when a .380-caliber handgun and six rounds of ammunition were discovered in his bag.
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Busch was detained while the situation was being resolved.
Bush was ultimately put on trial on Jan 29th, and convicted of the charges. Busch was sentenced to three years and six months in prison with an additional fine of 20,748 pesos ($1,082 U.S.).
However, according to the AP, the 37-year-old was allowed to forgo jail time and leave the country after paying a bond. It was not clear how much he had to pay.
Busch returned to his North Carolina home.
On Monday, he took to social media to issue an apology, stating, “I apologize for my mistake and appreciate the respect shown by all parties as we resolved the matter. My family and I consider this issue closed.”
Also in his statement, Busch said, “I have a valid concealed carry permit from my local authority and adhere to all handgun laws, but I made a mistake by forgetting it was in my bag.”
He also said he was not aware of the country’s strict gun laws but even so, had no intention of bringing a handgun into Mexico.
Traveling with firearms is completely legal in the United States, but care must be taken to ensure what you’re bringing is legal where you are going.
Though private air terminals still require their passengers to be screened by security, the process is much different than a standard passenger terminal.
It is possible that Busch’s firearm was recognized by security while flying out of the United States. It likely wasn’t brought up because no laws were broken on this side of the border. While trying to fly back, however, the discovery by Mexican authorities led to the current situation.
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