Remember all those guns that ended up in Mexico......

[Historic NY]

Mayor, police chief charged in gun smuggling probe

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - The mayor and police chief of a tiny New Mexico border town best known for a raid by Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa nearly a century ago were among 11 people accused Thursday of participating in a ring alleged to have illegally sent firearms to Mexico.

A federal indictment said the defendants have engaged in a conspiracy _ based in Columbus, N.M. _ to buy firearms since January 2010. Law enforcement officers executed search warrants Thursday at the Columbus Police Department, a gun shop and eight homes.

The indictment alleges the defendants purchased firearms favored by Mexican cartels, including AK-47-type pistols, weapons resembling AK-47 rifles _ but with shorter barrels _ and American Tactical 9 mm caliber pistols. Authorities also said 12 firearms purchased by defendants were later found in Mexico. <snip>

Mayor Eddie Espinoza, Police Chief Angelo Vega, and town Trustee Blas Gutierrez were among those accused of firearms and smuggling charges in the 84-count indictment unsealed Thursday afternoon.

The defendants bought approximately 200 firearms over a 14-month period from Chaparral Guns in Chaparral, N.M., which is owned by defendant Ian Garland, authorities said. They're accused of falsely claiming they were buying the firearms for themselves when they were actually acting as "straw purchasers" _ buying firearms on behalf of others.


http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=29&sid=2302417

[wtmusic]

1. No, it was ATF. Had to be ATF. I'm sure it was ATF. nt

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rl6214]

3. Mayor and police chief

may just as well have been the ATF.

[friendly_iconoclast]

4. Whoever it was, they should have the entire law library dropped on them by the Feds. n/t

[CanonRay]

5. I can't help thinking this war on drugs is helping destroy us

we're asking some poor county Sheriff making 40K a year (maybe) to be honest when some drug dealer offers him 50K cash off the books to ignore something going, or help it in some small way. It's got to be a hell of a temptation. Could you resist it? I'm don't know if I could. Maybe his kid's sick, or his wife's sister is broke. We're really f'ing ourselves up here.

[MyrnaLoy]

6. Where are all the

blame the ATF guys? They must be real busy trying to redirect the truth.

[friendly_iconoclast]

7. Don't you have some news accounts of ATF malfeasance to explain away?

Really, if you're going to be an apologist- work at it, for heaven's sake...

[AtheistCrusader]

8. Keep trying to misconstrue.

Nobody ever said ALL guns that find their way to Mexico came from the US Government one way or another. (ATF or other corrupt entities)

Most of us just point out NFA weapons that aren't accessible to civilians to sneak over in the first place are all over those 'trophy photo' tables that the Mexican Government and the BATFE post.

Yes, some guns are sent over by straw purchases. But when people start talking about the Mexican police and army being "outgunned" and they start waving around a 'trophy' MGL40 grenade launcher, we're not talking about joe sixpack the straw purchaser. And it is painfully, PAINFULLY obvious when these clowns try it.

Hell the CIA and DEA have been caught doing deals for funding. Money corrupts. Always has. Always will.