A federal court sentenced two Army National Guard members Monday for trying to sell weapons to a Mexican cartel.
These National Guard members from California believed they were making a weapons deal with a cartel down south, but in reality, they were interacting with a federal agent, The San Diego Union Tribune reports.
Staff Sgt. Andrew Reyes was sentenced to one year and a day to prison, while Spec. Jaime Casillas received credit for the time already spent in jail. Both Reyes and Casillas pleaded guilty in January, but Reyes’ crime was worse. Not only did Reyes plead guilty to dealing firearms without a license, but he also admitted to three charges of unlicensed transport of weapons.
An undercover Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent hoodwinked the two into believing he was a member of a Mexican cartel, which they bought hook, line and sinker, before proceeding to sell him an AK-47 and three AR-15s in less than a year.
Some of the weapons, according to federal authorities, were military-issue — as were the gun magazines, vests and ammunition they also sold. Casillas sold about 1,500 rounds of ammunition. At one point, he bragged to the undercover agent that he had no trouble getting his hands on the military equipment.
In total, the two members picked up $15,000 from the transactions, but were arrested in April 2015. The scheme had lasted from August 2014 to March 2015. Reyes had joined the California Army National Guard in 2008. Casillas joined in 2011.
“Casillas and Reyes’ conduct surpassed mere exploitation of military resources, and advanced to providing armaments usually reserved for law enforcement and combat personnel to individuals they believed were members of organized crime operating in the United States and Mexico,” Eric D. Harden, the special agent in charge for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said back in January.
Follow Jonah Bennett on Twitter
Send tips to jonah@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.