The U.S. Department of Justice has announced the arrest of five people accused of trafficking "military grade" guns from Texas into Mexico.
The indictment accuses Gerardo Perez of coordinating the purchase of more than 100 guns from cities across Texas. Perez lives in Laredo, and the indictment says he planned to deliver the guns across the Rio Grande to a cartel in Nuevo Laredo.
The indictment says Perez used "straw purchasers" to buy guns in cities as far away as San Marcos, New Braunfels, and Temple. In one case in San Antonio, the indictment says a federal firearm licensee denied the sale "based on the suspicious circumstances of the attempted purchase."
In other cases, the indictment says the group would complete forms claiming they would own the guns.
"The co-conspirators would falsely certify that they were the true buyers of the firearm, when they intended to transfer the firearm in furtherance of the conspiracy after making the purchase," the indictment reads.
The guns included FNH SCAR rifles, Barrett .50 caliber rifles, FNH M294S rifles, and M1919 rifles. The indictment says those guns are "highly prized" by cartels.
"They are symbols of cartel profit, power, and prestige due in part to their high price to purchase and operate," the indictment reads.
Prosecutors say cartels seek guns that use belt-fed ammunition because they can provide the ability to fire continuously for a longer period without reloading.
"Mexican drug trafficking cartels use these weapons to engage in battle with their enemies and exert control over their claimed territory," the indictment reads.
The U.S. Justice Department says the bipartisan "Safer Communities Act" passed in 2022 helped lead to the arrests. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) helped lead passage of the measure, and the Justice Department says the law created tougher penalties for straw purchases, where someone buys a gun for someone who is not allowed to have one.
The department says the law also allows easier tracking of guns used in illegal commerce.
In this case, four people, Gerardo Ibarra, Jr, Gerardo Corona, Jr., Francisco Alejandro Benavides, and Mark Anthony Trevino, Jr, were arrested for making straw purchases. Another was charged with falsifying information; prosecutors say Jose Mendoza was selling guns without a license.
The indictment says Luis Leal provided cash, and Antonio Casarez would smuggle the guns into Mexico and return with cash from cartels.
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