Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Two truckloads of illegal arms that entered the country through the Port of Long. Beach and were bound for Mexico turned up in a warehouse outside San Diego, a U.S. customs agent said Friday.

Thousands of unassembled grenade launchers and M�2 carbines were discovered by a warehouse worker, who alerted U.S. Customs Service inspectors. The arms were packed in two cargo containers measuring 20 feet long and 8 feet wide that were discovered last weekend.

A spokesman for the service said it could be the largest cache of illegal arms ever found in the United States.

"I can't recall anything that big," said Louis Semon, customs spokesman in San Diego.

John Mallamo, assistant special agent, said customs is investigating the shipment, tracking both foreign and domestic leads.

"We have a number of leads out nationwide as well as at some of our attache Offices overseas," he said. He declined to say which offices were participating in the investigation.

Shipping documents listed the contents as strap hangers and hand tools.

Mallamo said ships are subject to random searches, and Shippers must submit documents listing ship contents.

"Unfortunately, we cannot inspect each and every container, Mallamo said.