Oklahoma Man Conspired to Sell Firearms to Mexican Drug Cartels

An Oklahoma man was condemned to 12 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to traffic firearms to Mexican cartels. The parts were 80% Colt receivers that were to be cerakoted in the US, a process in which a polymer-ceramic coating is added to a firearm or its parts to improve its durability. Components were assembled into working weapons and sent to Mexico for Cartel Del Noreste (CDN) and Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG).

On 3 September 2019, a Federal grand jury indicted the man and seven others for their participation in conspiracies to traffic in counterfeit goods and for violating the Arms Export Control Act. The AECA provides for criminal penalties of up to $1 million or 20 years in prison, or both, for each violation.

The AECA also authorizes civil penalties of up to $500,000 and a ban on future exports. It provides the President of the US with the legal authority to control the export of defence articles and services. The AECA also contains legal authority for the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme, under which the US government sells defence equipment, services and training on a government-to-government basis. The law also specifies criteria for direct commercial sales (DCS), under which eligible foreign governments and international organisations purchase certain defence articles and services directly from US companies.

The AECA establishes foreign and domestic policy objectives for international defence cooperation and military export controls.

Source: Justice.gov