TUCSON, Ariz. -- A multi-agency task force led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement seized 10 weapons over the weekend, including a Serbu .50-caliber sniper rifle, authorities said.

It was part of Operation "Armas Cruzadas," an ongoing ICE initiative targeting cross-border weapons trafficking.

The sniper rifle was seized by ICE agents during a traffic stop Saturday in East Tucson. Intelligence gathered during the ongoing investigation indicates the weapon was going to be smuggled into Mexico, authorities said.

The weapons seizures stemmed from a probe by the Border Enforcement Security Task Force to identify, investigate and prosecute gang members, weapon smugglers and others illegally in possession of firearms, authorities said. The task force is made up of 12 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, as well as a representative from Mexico's federal police, the Secretaria de Seguridad Publica.

In addition to the sniper rifle, investigators seized a Norinko SKS assault rifle, eight semiautomatic handguns, one silencer, 3,500 rounds of ammunition and various weapons components, authorities said.

Five people were arrested and face a variety of federal and state charges.

"Stopping the illegal flow of weapons into Mexico is a key focus of the BEST team," said Richard Crocker, deputy special agent in charge of the ICE office of investigations in Tucson. "Many of these seized weapons would have been used by organized criminal gangs against our law enforcement partners in Mexico. By stopping them here, we are preventing these tragedies from occurring there."

The intelligence gathered in the operation will be shared with Mexican authorities to assist them in identifying gun smuggling organizations operating south of the border, Crocker said.

"Especially for our local partners, keeping weapons out of the hands of felons and illegal aliens is an important component in improving the safety of local communities," said Crocker.

The Tucson task force was created in March 2006 to pool the resources of a variety of law enforcement agencies and employ a unified approach to investigating border-related crime in the Tucson area.

Since its inception, the the task force has seized more than $3.5 million, approximately 60,000 pounds of marijuana and more than 200 assault-style weapons.

The team has also arrested more than 120 individuals on major criminal charges and broken up numerous criminal organizations operating in the Tucson area.