MANHATTAN — Three people from Pennsylvania were arrested trying to bring a cache of weapons, including an assault rifle and bullet clip with "Merica" written on it, through the Holland Tunnel into Manhattan early Tuesday morning, according to the Port Authority and sources.
Two men in their 50s and a woman in her 20s were stopped at the New Jersey side toll plaza around 7:40 a.m. after a Port Authority officer stopped them for having a cracked windshield and then spotted a weapon in the front seat, officials and sources said.
Authorities found in total five handguns, an assault rifle and a shotgun, all in plain view and "all locked and loaded," according to a law enforcement source and picture of the stash taken by authorities.
Officers also recovered 2,000 rounds of ammunition, bulletproof vests and knives, according to sources and the picture.
The three are believed to be gun enthusiasts with "drug issues," another law enforcement source said, and the group told investigators they were heading into the city to help out another friend with drug problems.
The FBI was notified of the arrest, but do not believe the three people have any links to terrorism, a bureau spokeswoman told DNAinfo New York.
