The Justice Department announced Monday it had charged six people connected to a gun trafficking organization that smuggled firearms and ammunition to one of the largest and most violent drug cartels in Mexico.
The department stated that the leader of the organization is allegedly Marco Antonio Santillan Valencia, 51, who is believed to have used the organization to obtain and supply weapons, firearms parts, and ammunition for the Jalisco Nueva Generacion Cartel. Other defendants charged by the department were Marco Santillan Jr., 29, Anthony Marmolejo Aguilar, 30, Michael Diaz, 33, Luis De Arcos, 51, and Rafael Magallon Castillo, 34.
The group allegedly obtained firearms in Oregon and Nevada and smuggled them to Mexico, according to the department. It also allegedly obtained ammunition from various states to be delivered to a location in Nevada.
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“The defendants in this case smuggled sophisticated weaponry out of the United States to one of the most violent cartels in Mexico whose members target not only rival gangs, but innocent Mexican citizens and Mexican law enforcement,” said Kristi K. Johnson of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Interdictions by our task force, coupled with this indictment, have dealt a blow to firearms trafficking groups on which this cartel relies to facilitate their violent operations.”
Authorities recovered six assault rifles and over 250,000 rounds of assault rifle ammunition from the group during a Los Angeles Strike Force investigation. Additionally, over $300,000 worth of weapons parts and kits to assemble “miniguns” capable of firing up to 6,000 rounds per minute were also recovered.
All six defendants were charged by the department with a conspiracy to violate export administration regulations that “restrict the export of items that could make a significant contribution to the military potential of other nations or that could be detrimental to the foreign policy or national security of the United States.” Additionally, Valencia and Santillan Jr. were charged with a money laundering conspiracy. Other charges the defendants face include various attempted smuggling counts and being felons in possession of ammunition.
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Santillan, De Arcos, and Diaz entered not guilty pleas on Jan. 19 and were ordered to stand trial in March. Santillan Jr. was ordered to appear for an arraignment in Los Angeles on Feb. 2, the department stated. Castillo is believed to be a fugitive in Mexico, while Aguilar is in police custody in North Carolina.
