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May 06
PHOENIX—The arrest of a gun shop owner on Tuesday broke up a suspected firearms trafficking operation that supplied violent Mexican drug cartels, authorities said.
Agents raided X Calibur Guns and arrested George Iknadosian after undercover agents bought guns at the store indicating they were to be trafficked to Mexico, said Carlos Baixauli, a special agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Iknadosian, 46, knowingly sold at least 650 firearms, including high-end semiautomatic pistols and assault-style rifles, to drug cartels, the ATF said.
The investigation began 11 months ago after some guns involved in crimes in Mexico were traced to X Caliber Guns in Phoenix, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard said.
Also arrested were two Mexican brothers who are accused of recruiting “straw buyers” to purchase weapons at X Calibur Guns that would then be trafficked to the drug cartels.
Hugo Gamez, 26, and Cesar Gamez, 28, were legally living in the Phoenix metro area, but Baixauli said the brothers worked for a major Mexican drug cartel.
“This is not just taking guns to Mexico,” Phoenix police Asst. Chief Andy Anderson said. “This is putting guns in the hands of drug dealers and human smugglers … This is a despicable crime.”
The three men in custody face charges including conducting an illegal enterprise, misconduct involving weapons, money laundering, forgery and fraudulent schemes. It wasn’t clear whether they had lawyers.
“The bottom line is illegal gun trafficking is not only destroying Mexico, but some of these guns may get back to the United States,” Baixauli said. “It puts our law enforcement officers in danger, and in Mexico, it decimates law enforcement.”
And the looney toons of the right will decry this arrest and whine about Second Amendment rights while they are demanding a border fence to keep out all of the illegals and the violence spilling over into the United States, while refusing to acknowledge, that in many cases, the cause of the problems in Mexico can be found right here at home! Imagine that!
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I am totally agree with you on the statement that they Looney tunes and Media travesties like Lou Dobbs do no sees the root of Mexico Problems.
Even ignored to inform his viewers about the increase in domestic indoor marijuana farms as well as the traffic of drugs from Canada instead he blames in Mexico and Mexicans for Invasion of undocumented Immigrants, diseases, drugs, crime.
That’s pathetic, ignorant and Anti Mexican.
While there are certainly many “looney tunes” out there, not all of them are on the right. I am a firm supporter of second amendment rights. This is a right that must be proteced at all costs for MANY reasons, but that does not excuse a licenced dealer selling firearms to be illegally smuggled into Mexico and placed into the hands of violent criminals.
This individual must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and all others like him.
Your less-than-subtle attack on gun rights is deplorable, and certainly anything BUT objective.
I’m also a firm believer in the Second Amendment and a firm believer that our founding father’s never intended or imagined these types of weapons and certainly, not making them available to the citizens.
There is no earthly reason why anyone needs a high powered semi automatic (easily convertible) assault style weapon for “personal” protection. Licensed collectors excluded.
Pistols, handguns, long rifles of the hunting variety, I don’t have a problem with. I do have a problem though with the nutcase alarmists trying to convince everyone to “arm up” to defend the country against the President-Elect and his policies and those who advocate starting a war with Mexico on our southern border. It just takes one.
I’m a firm supporter of the Second Ammendment. It’s asinine to believe that we are responsible for the failures of another nation to secure their borders and enforce their laws. It’s as simplistic as the idea to place a giant wall on our border to stem the flow of illegal immigration. There are many variables to consider and simply saying one thing is the root or one thing is the solution will not suffice. Unfortunately, I believe both sides will view this incident out of context. Many far right individuals will see it as an excuse for them to continue implementing their foolish, inneffective, and often times short sighted border initiatives. While those on the far left will see this as an opportunity to attack the law abiding citizen’s right to own guns through inneffective “feel good” laws. I do feel that poking fun of right at the end of your article was somewhat petty, but more than anything I found it humorous.
That was tongue in cheek at the end, but this is not an isolated case.
Here in Texas, a recent article in the Laredo Morning Times recounts common instances of people going into the gun shops and buying thousands of dollars in ammo.
In one occasion, an off duty ATF agent walked into a gun shop on personal business and saw two guys who had just bought $4000 dollars in 7.65 nato rounds, sitting on the floor separating their purchases, ready to smuggle it into Mexico.
I’m not saying deny people their Second Amendment rights. Hell, I carry even in Mexico. But there is no reason or purpose for, military style assault rifles that can be easily modified to be openly available.
I’ve seen first hand what an AR15/M-16 can do to a man. On a deer, it would render the meat worthless.