Thread: AZ: Officials: Phoenix gun dealer sold to Mexican drug carte

Published Tuesday May 6, 2008
Officials: Phoenix gun dealer sold to Mexican drug cartels
By AMANDA LEE MYERS Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press
http://omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1000&u_sid=10328450

PHOENIX (AP) - 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."

Related earlier story posted ar

http://www.alipac.us/ftopic-114484-0.html