ATF: U.S. Gun Dealer Sold To Drug Cartels

Phoenix Gun Runner Sold Hundreds Of Weapons To Mexican Drug Cartels, Feds Say

(AP)  Federal and state officials said they broke up a Phoenix-based firearms trafficking operation on Tuesday that provided violent Mexican drug cartels with hundreds of weapons.

The owner of a gun shop called X Calibur Guns, George Iknadosian, 46, knowingly sold at least 650 firearms to drug cartels, according to officials with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The firearms ranged from high-end semiautomatic pistols to assault-style rifles.

"These are weapons of war for the cartels and they're procuring them here by illegal means," Peter Forcelli, an ATF supervisory special agent, told KTVK-TV in Phoenix.

The investigation into X Calibur began 11 months ago, and in that time, undercover agents with ATF and Phoenix police have gone into the store and bought guns after indicating they were to be trafficked to Mexico, ATF special agent Carlos Baixauli told The Associated Press.

Agents raided the store Tuesday and arrested Iknadosian, a Glendale resident. Also arrested were two Mexican brothers legally living in the Phoenix metro area.

Baixauli said the brothers, identified as Hugo Gamez, 26, and Cesar Gamez, 28, worked for a major Mexican drug cartel.

The three were in the custody of Phoenix police and face charges including conducting an illegal enterprise, misconduct involving weapons, money laundering, forgery and fraudulent schemes.

"The bottom line is illegal gun trafficking is not only destroying Mexico, but some of these guns may get back to the United States," Baixauli said. "It puts our law enforcement officers in danger, and in Mexico, it decimates law enforcement."

Further details of the operation are to be announced at a news conference Tuesday afternoon at Attorney General Terry Goddard's office. ATF, the U.S. Marshals Office, Phoenix police and the Mexican Attorney General's Office are set to attend.

[bhappy2-2]

I support the Second Amendment completely, but this guy needs to have his FFL revoked and be put in prison a while. These guns went to the drug cartels and probably will eventually wind up being used by ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS against us. This is just not acceptable to law abiding citizens. This makes those of us who obey the laws look incompetent and unworthy of trust.

[payasyougo]

If found guilty he should be made an example of.

[kindrox]

Lets make a deal with Mexico. They stop allowing drugs and illegals into the USA and we''ll stop sending guns down there.

[pfd572]

This excellent investigation was started by LOCAL Phoenix PD officers. A job well done. These dung heaps are most likely responsible for the deaths of officers and innocent civilians. Solitary confinement for life is the best punishment anyone guilty of providing arms to gangster murderers.

[pfd572]

dragon: please (said with a grin) don''t give the manic Right to Arms crowd any ammunition (?). Next thing we know they will be paying for their defense as 2nd Amender heroes.

[kaiyo4u]

Geez, why didn''t they arrest the drug carel members???
It''s like arresting the bartender for drunk driving.

Is it really your business what John Doe does with your product after he buys it? The responsibility is John''s after that, not yours.

[honestabe8]

kindrox: too much money in illegal drugs, that will not happen.

[billorights]

Well, I guess cartels could be considered a militia, so they are within the basic definition of their second amendment rights, legal.??... - Posted by dragonwagon5 at 08:11 PM : May 06, 2008

Cute. The 2nd Amendment is not about %u201Ca militia%u201D, but it does refer to THE militia. No, these guys are definitely breaking the law.

This case is actually a fairly good example of existing laws being sufficient to stop criminal behavior.

It would have been nice if the story had included some detail regarding the sales of guns to Mexican drug cartel members. The charges for sales to undercover agents claiming to have ties to the drug cartels may be enough to put these people away for a while, but it would be helpful to know what was actually sold to the bad guys.

[algoresarse]

"A well-regulated militia is necessary to the security of a free State and prohibits infringement of the right of the people to keep and bear arms."

Looks like ''''A'''' militia to me.

Posted by dragonwagon5 at 05:36 PM : May 07, 2008
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for you it is for me its DRUG CARTEL..using guns o kill people who OPPOSE thier operation TO poison our society with drugs..HENCE THEY NEED TO BE STOPPED..GUNS DESTROYED AND CRIMINALS PUNISHED TO TH FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW..

good try though..

[algoresarse]

Oh come on now. It''''s free enterprise, capitalism, suppy and demand. They are well regulated, and quite efficient. They could be concidered a militia just like blackwater.

Posted by dragonwagon5 at 06:24 AM : May 08, 2008
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well it is obvious that you have a very twisted perception of economy..btw do you jack off while you watch ''scarface''?