On Jan. 27, NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch was detained by authorities at a private terminal at the Cancun Airport in Mexico for possessing a firearm without a license.
He was traveling to the United States from vacation with his wife, Samantha, when his handgun was “flagged during routine screening at the airport.” Busch had a .380 caliber pistol in his bag, along with a “magazine stocked with six hollow point cartridges,” according to the official report from the Public Ministry of the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR) in Quintana Roo.
Upon discovery of the handgun, Busch was detained and the Federal Public Ministry presented the case to a judge on Jan. 29. On Monday (Feb. 6), Busch was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison and fined $1,082.
A statement from the Mexico Prosecutor General’s office did not explain how the sentence would be handled.
On Monday, Busch released a statement on his Twitter, explaining the incident.
“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,” Busch wrote. “I was not aware of Mexican law and had no intention of bringing a handgun into Mexico.”
Furthermore, Busch stated that he “fully cooperated” with authorities, accepted penalties for his actions and returned to North Carolina with his wife.
“I apologize for my mistake,” Busch wrote. “My family and I consider this issue closed.”
Busch finished third in Sunday’s Busch Light Clash at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.
— Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) February 6, 2023