Police arrested five individuals in southern Texas over an alleged trafficking plot involving sending military-grade weapons to a Mexican cartel, according to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release Monday.
The DOJ indicted Gerardo Rafael Perez Jr., Francisco Alejandro Benavides, Mark Anthony Trevino, Luis Matias Leal and Antonio Osiel Casarez for allegedly participating in the purchases of the firearms and their transportation, the press release reads.
Five Arrested in South Texas for Allegedly Trafficking Military Grade Firearms to Mexican Drug Cartel https://t.co/YWhLIcSgMR @ATFHou @HSI_SanAntonio
— U.S. Attorney WDTX (@USAO_WDTX) March 25, 2024
Perez’s organization, according to court documents, allegedly employed Benavides and Trevino as straw purchasers who would buy weapons from various sources within Texas, the DOJ said. Straw purchasing is where one party illegally buys weapons for another party, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This indirect transaction is done because the party wanting the weapons would likely not pass a background check, according to the U.S. Concealed Carry Association. (RELATED: DOJ Accuses Apple Of Fueling ‘Social Stigma’ With Green Bubble Texts For Androids)
Perez’s organization allegedly acquired its stash of over 100 weapons from unlicensed dealers or federal firearm licensees, where their straw purchasers made false representations to, the DOJ said.
“The high-powered firearms allegedly acquired by Perez’s organization included FNH SCAR rifles, Barrett .50 caliber rifles, FNH M294S rifles, and M1919 rifles,” according to the DOJ. Leal allegedly provided cash for the transactions, while Casarez allegedly smuggled the weapons into Mexico and returned to the U.S. with money.
All five defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms and another count of conspiracy to straw purchase firearms. The first count could carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison while the second could carry a maximum sentence of 25 years. Perez, Casarez, Leal and Benavides are further charged with conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States and conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The first charge could carry a sentence of up to five years in prison, and the other could carry a 20 year sentence, the press release reads.
Perez further faces two additional firearms trafficking charges, while Leal, Benavides and Trevino are charged with falsifying information when buying a firearm and straw purchasing, the DOJ said. Falsification of information could carry a 10 year sentence. All charges carry fines up to $250,000.