Federal agent in Tucson gun-smuggling case: Every family member had a .50 cal

[Judi Lynn]

By Curt Prendergast Arizona Daily Star Jul 8, 2017 Updated 1 hr ago


A foiled gun-smuggling attempt in Nogales, Arizona, and a daring raid at an airstrip in Sinaloa, Mexico, led U.S. authorities to a gun shop on Tucson’s northwest side.

Along the way, federal agents encountered rifles powerful enough to take down a helicopter, two phony home invasions, dozens of fraudulent gun sale records, and a former Tucson police officer accused of stealing the identities of people he arrested as part of a scheme to smuggle guns across the border.

Joe Santiago Valles, a Tucson police officer from 2012 to 2014, was sentenced July 6 in U.S. District Court in Tucson to 6½ years in federal prison after pleading guilty to 30 counts of falsifying federal firearm records, identity theft and witness tampering. The prosecution of alleged co-conspirator Timothy Veninga, who was a federally licensed firearms dealer, is ongoing.

The investigation of Valles, 34, and Veninga, 48, began in March 2016 when U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Nogales caught a man trying to smuggle a Kel-Tec PMR-30 pistol into Mexico, according to court documents and testimony at the July 6 sentencing hearing.

More:
http://tucson.com/news/local/agent-every-family-member-had-a-cal-in-smuggling-scheme/article_adbb32f9-11d6-5693-9702-e6b876b5c2e2.html

Out of curiosity, looked for a photo of a .50 cal:



Wierd!

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Just the tip of the Berg.

With Sessions as AG,these investigations will go away. Humpers have to Hump.

[yagotme]

5. He was just running his own Fast & Furious deal. n/t

[Wellstone ruled]

6. Never knew if the stories were fact or ficton.

Knowing how Southern Politics usually work,the taint and smell seems never to go away.

[yagotme]

7. Which stories?

The F &F?

[Wellstone ruled]

8. Stories about Law Enforcements

blind eye approach to certain people of so called standing,and their questionable activities.

[yagotme]

10. You can find that up north, as well...

like Chicago. Enforcement of laws is pretty much "who pays, plays".

[Wellstone ruled]

11. Rural Wisconsin in the Forties and Fifties as well.

Seen it and damn near got blamed for it.

[Hangingon]

2. Good for law enforcement

Glad to see outlaw dealers busted.

[ileus]

3. Good work guys...

Those firearms were meant to legally in American homes.

[gejohnston]

4. a Kel-Tec PMR-30

you would think the cartels would go for quality. They can make their own guns that are better than those.

As for the .50s, the rifles were developed for long range target shooting before they were adopted by the military.
Per capita, it seems to be more popular, and more ranges, in the UK than the US.
http://www.fcsa.org/wwwroot/visitors/ranges.php
http://www.fcsa.co.uk/

As for "being able to take down a helicopter", grandpa's deer rifle can do that. It is just a matter of placement, assuming they can hit it. When journalists can't get simple facts that can be easily looked up right, I have to wonder what else they get wrong. It seems to be a profession that attracts the incurious, intellectually lazy, and the stupid.

[sarisataka]

9. A good bust but illustrates the problem

of controlling illegal firearm sales, specifically issues with prosecution.

Putting false information of an ATF form 4473 can result in a ten year prison term. The former cop plead guilty to doing so 30 times so his 6 1/2 year sentence adds up to two months per offence. He basically gets nothing for identity theft and witness tampering.

There is little deterrent to those wanting to illegally sell firearms when they know they can get off with a slap on the wrist...

[yagotme]

13. And to top off all that...

there are those that call for MORE legislation. Let's enforce what's there now. Lock up these guys like this for a long time, that will be a deterrent to others more than adding another scofflaw or ten.

[jmg257]

12. Nice - besides the .50, the recovered 4 Ak-47s...not sure if full auto, but at least they busted the

scumbags.

[ManiacJoe]

14. Love the "take down a helicopter" part.