An investigation led by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), in collaboration with federal and state enforcement entities, has culminated in the arrest of Andres Avila, a 48-year-old reportedly illegal alien, and his 22-year-old son, Anthony Avila of Houston, for their involvement in illegal firearms trafficking, as revealed in a recent press release from ICE. Accrued allegations against the pair include the trafficking of over 70 firearms and ammunition, obtained from purchases at area gun shows, where the wares are typically less restrained by the formalities of federal oversight, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
HSI Dallas, the ATF, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol each played a role in the unfolding of this case which began when agents spotted the Avilas engaging in suspicious activities suggestive of straw purchasing, which is the act through which an individual buys a firearm for someone who is legally barred from purchasing one themselves they were seen at a gun show loading their backpacks with firearms which they then transferred into large totes beneath a specific vendor’s table—allegedly to shirk the gaze of law enforcement. Once their vehicle was stopped, law enforcement discovered an abundance of ammunition, consistent with that purchased at the gun show. Moreover, Andres Avila, upon inspection, was found to be illegally residing in the United States, a status that precludes him from legally owning or obtaining firearms and ammunition, in stark contravention to his apparent actions.
The agents interviewed vendors at the gun show, which shed further light on the operation. They indicated their awareness that Andres was not legally in the country, and acknowledged that more than 75 firearms were stowed in the totes, after initially meeting with the father-son duo through a Texas pawn shop where they arranged to purchase firearm magazines for cash. “Oftentimes, illegally trafficked firearms end up in the hands of the drug cartels, terrorists, foreign adversaries, or other bad actors,” HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard explained, emphasizing the broader implications of such illicit dealings, as stated in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement…