Federal authorities have brought a gun trafficking case against an illegal immigrant after he allegedly used private sales at gun shows and cash payments to evade checks that would have flagged him as an illegal buyer.
Andres Avila and his son, who is a U.S. citizen, were caught after they spent more than six hours at an Oklahoma gun show, where federal agents watched them buy firearms from various dealers.
Agents said the father was on the phone as he struck deals with sellers, indicating he was making straw purchases for someone else.
A federal agent told the court in an affidavit that they tied 78 guns to the son, 22, and father, 48, who, as an illegal immigrant, is prohibited from possessing firearms. When officers pulled over the men’s vehicle, they found what they called “large quantities of bulk ammunition.”
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the men “paid cash to purchase firearms from private sellers in an attempt to avoid law enforcement detection.”
“Oftentimes, illegally trafficked firearms end up in the hands of the drug cartels, terrorists, foreign adversaries, or other bad actors,” said Travis Pickard, special agent in charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas office.
Authorities said Andres Avila’s wife and Anthony Avila’s mother, who was also arrested, is an illegal immigrant.
Gun control groups have pushed for changes to tighten the rules on sales at gun shows, arguing they create a loophole that allows people to obtain weapons even when barred by federal law.
Federal background check laws apply to sales involving licensed dealers, so private dealers running booths at gun shows are generally exempt.
The investigation was a joint effort by HSI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
An ATF agent told the court the father and son had connected with a pawn show owner in Texas a year ago and arranged for him to buy them vendor passes to the gun show in Tulsa, paying double the going rate.
The pawn owner had allowed the father and son to store their purchased weapons in tote bags at the pawn shop owner’s booth.
He had expected the two men to return later to collect the guns.
The ATF agent said that when the pawn shop owner was told Andres Avila was in the country illegally and unable to possess the weapons, the owner “abandoned the firearms” to the agents.
Both father and son were charged with trafficking firearms.
The father was also charged with being an illegal immigrant in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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