17 indicted after hundreds of weapons seized

Posted: 02/17/2011
Last Updated: 33 minutes ago
By: Deborah Stocks
Associated Press

PHOENIX - A federal grand jury has unsealed multi-count indictments against 17 people in five cases of illegally trafficking firearms from the United States to Mexico.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, nine people were arrested Tuesday by members of a multi-agency law enforcement task force and a summons was served on one other. Seven remaining defendants were previously charged and are awaiting trial.

Operation "Too Hot to Handle" involved approximately 300 weapons seized in Arizona, Mexico and Texas. The weapons included mostly AK-47-type rifles and automatic pistols.

The weapons were bought by "straw purchasers" from licensed gun stores in Arizona.

According to the news release, "Firearms traffickers often recruit "straw purchasers" to buy guns from licensed dealers. It is illegal for a purchaser to falsely declare they are buying firearms for themselves when in fact they are obtaining them for someone else."

The federal indictment charges two illegal immigrants from Mexico with possessing a large number of guns.

Prosecutors say Thursday that the immigrants possessed a combined 222 assault rifles and five pistols in May and August that were later seized in Laredo, Texas.

The indictment doesn't charge them with gun smuggling, but authorities say the guns were headed to Mexico.

Jose Beltran-Bermudez is charged with possession of 142 AK-47s and five pistols.

He and Yazmin Arvayo-Palafox were charged with possessing another 80 AK-47s.

Beltran-Bermudez's attorney, Stephen Duncan, says his client will plead not guilty.

Calls to Patrick McGillicuddy, attorney for Arvayo-Palafox, weren't immediately returned Thursday.

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