Traffic Stop on Route 17 Leads to Seizure of 89 Illegal Firearms

A routine traffic stop on Route 17 quickly turned into a major firearms bust after State Police discovered dozens of illegal weapons inside a vehicle.

Troopers from the Troop F Community Stabilization Unit pulled over a 2026 Ford on May 7 at around 6:12 p.m. after observing several traffic violations.

During the stop, a K9 officer conducted a search around the outside of the vehicle and alerted troopers to possible illegal contents. Inside the vehicle were three men. A search of the car then uncovered 89 illegal firearms of various makes and calibers.

Authorities also recovered multiple extended magazines, large-capacity ammunition feeding devices, and ammunition. Police say 18 of the firearms had previously been reported stolen.

All three men were arrested at the scene and taken to State Police headquarters in Middletown for processing before later being turned over to the FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force.