PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Seven people from Arizona, a California man and a Montana man were charged in federal court because prosecutors said they had schemed and lied to buy guns they wanted to smuggle into Mexico, prosecutors announced Friday.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, the nine suspects were straw purchasers, which means they bought guns for other people. Prosecutors said between March 2020 and January 2024, the crooks signed forms claiming they would be the owners of the guns when actually they were buying for another person.
The suspects conspired to “straw purchase” more than 15 guns, including at least three Barrett .50 caliber and 10 belt-fed semi-automatic rifles, which they intended to smuggle south of the border.
On July 26, 2023, the Justice Department said law enforcement seized six of the guns shortly after they were illegally bought. Mexican authorities found another gun linked to the plot on March 24, 2025…