NASCAR driver Kyle Busch was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in a Mexican prison for packing a handgun on his trip to Cancun last month.
Busch was arrested Jan. 27 when an X-ray of his luggage while leaving Cancun to go back to the U.S. revealed that the driver had a loaded pistol inside one of his bags.
His conviction was announced last week by Mexican authorities. A Mexican law firm cited by Law & Crime.com said that speedy sentencing “is applied in custodial sentences not exceeding 9 years or in others of a different nature.”
Busch was fined $1,080 for the infraction as well, or about 20,748 pesos. It’s unclear how he will serve the sentence.
He addressed the crime in a Monday tweet saying that he mistakenly forgot the firearm was in his luggage and was detained “while the situation was resolved.” Busch said he wasn’t aware of Mexican law and had no intention of bringing the gun into the country.
“When it was discovered, I fully cooperated with authorities, accepted the penalties, and returned to North Carolina,” Busch tweeted. “I apologize for my mistake and appreciate the respect shown by all parties as we resolved the matter. My family and I consider this issue closed.”
— Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) February 6, 2023
Busch is currently tied with Kevin Harvick for the most NASCAR cup wins among active drivers. He came in third during NASCAR’s Clash exhibition race on Sunday.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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