Undercover San Jose federal agents have helped bust a west Africa weapons smuggling scheme.
Ivory Coast citizen Nguessan Yao has been arrested in New York for investigation of conspiring to export handguns, ammunition and tear gas grenades to the west African nation. The United Nations imposed an embargo on arms shipments to Ivory Coast in 2004.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement say 55-year-old Yao has agreed to be transferred to the Bay Area to face prosecution.
John Morton, the director of the customs agency called it a,"major weapons-smuggling scheme."
An informant told federal agents in San Jose last year that U.S. resident Michael Shor was trying to broker the weapons shipment. Cooperation by Shor, who was arrested in April, led to Yao's arrest on Thursday.
