Sign up for The BriefThe Justice Department arrested five men across Texas after accusing the group of illegally purchasing firearms and trafficking the weapons to drug cartels in Mexico, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas announced Monday.
The federal government created criminal offenses for straw purchases as part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Straw purchasing of firearms is the illegal act of buying a gun for another person who is prohibited from owning the weapon or doesn’t want their name associated with the transaction.
“They are symbols of cartel profit, power, and prestige due in part to their high price to purchase and operate,” theread. “Mexican drug trafficking cartels use these weapons to engage in battle with their enemies and exert control over their claimed territory.” Casarez was accused of smuggling the weapons across the border to Mexico where co-conspirators working with a cartel would receive them.Since the law went into effect, the Justice Department has prosecuted over 300 defendants, the federal agency told The Texas Tribune.
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