I-TEAM: Documents detail cross-border gun smuggling
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EL PASO — Thousands of drug-related executions and shootings in Mexico are bringing to light the issue of illegal gun smuggling from the U.S. — especially, since gun ownership in Mexico is strictly limited to law enforcement agents by law.
ABC-7 got some insight into how guns are smuggled into Mexico, by looking at court documents from a recent weapon-smuggling bust.
Back in March, Jonatan Lopez-Gutierrez, 33; and John Avelar, 32, were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents after they were caught trying to smuggle weapons into Mexico.
A few months later, both pleaded guilty to smuggling and conspiring to smuggle weapons from the U.S. into Mexico. Monday, Avelar was sentenced to 37 months in prison; Lopez-Gutierrez got four years in prison.
Both will be placed under supervised release for three years after they’re released.
According to the court documents, the pair was part of a weapons-smuggling ring and were provided with funds to purchase weapons in the U.S. and smuggle them into Mexico.
Documents state the group bought 110 weapons and delivered them to people and groups across the border in Juarez.
Officials with ICE said this case is a classic case of one of the biggest crime problems in the border.