AZ Grand Jury indicts 20 in firearms trafficking conspiracy to Mexico

[Attilatheblond]

If Trump-Antionette and his court of fools were really interested in stopping drugs and gang violence, they would be doing what Arizona investigators, courts are doing: Bust the people trafficking guns and ammo to Cartels.

https://www.myheraldreview.com/news/border/arizona-indicts-20-in-firearms-trafficking-conspiracy-to-mexico/article_1befc51a-bb25-429b-92c6-e5cfb28a0e1c.html?]

The conspiracy operated between May 4, 2024, and Feb. 13, 2025, according to the indictment. Luis Castaneda, Victor Garcia and Aaron Villescaz-Chavira allegedly conspired with Michelle Iniguez, Hakeem Sharp, Sedone Rice, Marianne Rice, Selena Bustillos and others to unlawfully acquire firearms from federal firearms licensees for export to Mexico, the attorney general's office says.

The defendants allegedly provided funds to purchase firearms and compensated straw purchasers who forged Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives forms to conceal the true buyers, according to the indictment. The trafficking organization obtained approximately 334 firearms during the conspiracy, prosecutors say.

Law enforcement tracing through the ATF eTrace system revealed that many of these firearms have been recovered in Mexico, the attorney general's office says. The charges include misconduct involving weapons and other felony offenses under Arizona law.

We have border checkpoints a few miles north of the border on most, if not all northbound highways. Northbound vehicles have to go thru checkpoints. Sometimes you get a wave thru, sometimes a CBP sniffer dog gets to noise around your vehicle. Sometimes they pull you aside and tear the seats out of your vehicle and you get to put it all back together yourself. (by the way, these checkpoints can be put up anywhere in the special enforcement area, which is ALL the way around the continental US, including ALL coastal areas)

What is missing is standard inspection stations for SOUTHBOUND traffic. Makes it easy for gun traffickers to earn some gig income hauling guns into Mexico. As more traffickers are getting busted, maybe Sec Nome and her goons will stop harassing lawful citizens and immigrants and focus on the criminals making sure Cartels are well armed.

Nah, just wishful and practical thinking on my part.

[MichMan]

1. Generally the country being entered is responsible for border security

At least that how it always was at the Michigan/Ontario crossing points. When you were entering into Canada from the US it was always Canadian customs officials. Going from Canada to the US was always US officials.

[Attilatheblond]

2. Gun trafficking starts on the north side of the border with Mexico, as these indictments show

Straw buyers, financed on the US side of the line. Some gun traffick has been stopped on the US side of the line.

Relying on officials in Mexican border towns is pointless. The WELL ARMED cartels have the local LEOs out gunned and outnumbered. If serious border inspections happened on the south side of the line, those LEOs would just be gunned down or beheaded. Realities matter.

If the US is serious about fighting gangs and drugs, we can, and should be checking southbound traffic for illegal guns/ammo shipments. But I reckon that would interfere with profit$ for US businesses. So, DHS focuses on the wrong targets and the profits continue.

There have been a few busts of local gun shops around here. This recent set of indictments shows more work needs to be done on THIS side of the line across the desert. Busting gun traffickers is a better fight against gang and drug crimes than harassing tax paying, hard working, PEACEFUL people in 'blue cities'.

[MichMan]

4. Governor Hobbs should call up the Arizona National Guard

[Attilatheblond]

5. Might be holding them in reserve to protect ballot collection and counting stations soon.

The MAGAs around here are NOT happy that DEMs get to vote and they often pull stunts to intimidate people and/or disrupt ballot counting/reporting.

Mark Elias had to go to court to get ballots from my county certified and counted not long ago.

One of the people gumming up the works is still a Supervisor and has upcoming trial for not doing his lawful obligation to certify an election. He nearly caused all voters in the county to be basically disenfranchised. His trial was FINALLY scheduled for this Nov, but suddenly he has to have a hernia operation and can't go to trial until Feb 2026. I fully expect he will declare he needs a hysterectomy as that trial date draws near. He and his fans are that stupid.

[pecosbob]

3. GOPers long ago wrote laws protecting gun dealers and manufacturers from prosecution or even monitoring

Similar to ag-gag laws, it is illegal for law enforcement to keep statistics on where and how the guns are moving south.

[Attilatheblond]

6. ATF was investigating/tracking massively large volumn sales of a gun store near the TX/Mexican border a while back

Same store where the barely 18 year old Uvalde shooter got his mass murder weapon.