Judge: No bond for 9 defendants in N.M. gun smuggling case
Judge: No bond for 9 defendants in gun smuggling case
Posted at: 03/15/2011 1:20 PM
By: Magdalena Sharpe, KOB.com
According to El Paso’s KTSM nine of the ten defendants charged in a Columbus gun smuggling ring, including the town’s mayor, were remanded into custody at an arraignment hearing Tuesday.
Columbus Mayor Eddie Espinoza and the town Trustee are amongst ten defendants accused of illegally buying nearly 200 firearms over a 14-month-period with plans to smuggle them across the border into Mexico.
They were arrested Thursday as law enforcement officers executed search warrants at the Columbus Police Department, a gun shop and eight homes.
On Tuesday a judge said the defendants were considered a flight risk and attributed the nature of the charges as reason to keep them in custody.
KTSM reports that the one female of the group was the only person granted bond at $10,000.
The town’s police Chief Angel Vega also faces one charge of conspiracy to smuggle guns.
http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S201 ... ml?cat=504
