US citizen George Iknadosian will face a trial in march the 3rd, the charges are fraud,
conspiracy and delictive asociation.
George Iknadosian, owner of the weapon store X-Caliber Guns, will face a trial for providing weapons to members of the Sinaloa cartel, knowing that they are into drugs sales.
Ak-47 assault rifles wthat Iknadosian sold were found after a shootout in may of the past year that left 8 policemen dead.
"This is the most revelant case of the detention of a weapons salesman, since the United States promised the Mexican government two years ago, that they will stop weapons shipment through the border", said the american newspaper The New Times.
The american newspaper stated that the Mexican government has claimed it's American counterpart, to do something regarding weapon shipments that are used by organized crime, that ended with 6,000 dead people the last year.
"We have a direct link from Iknadosian to the Sinaloa Cartel", said to this Journal Thomas G. Mangan, representative of the federal office of Alcohol, Tobacco, Weapons and Explosives of in Phoenix Arizona.
According to the journal, drug lords seek to buy weapons in the United States because gun laws in this country are much more lax compared with Mexican legizlation regarding gun sales.
They say that in the USA any citizen can buy weapons freely, even if they are high caliber or een assault rifles legally.
In Mexico to legally buy a weapon, a permit from the Defense Secretary is required, besides the sales are limited to low caliber weapons that aren't considered of exclusive use for the army.
Phoenix officials detailed that due to the restrictions in Mexico Iknadosian and two more people were transporting weapons through the border during more than two years.
Besides in the border zone there are about 6,600 authorized firearm vendors, meanwhile the offices of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has 200 agents only.
According with the NYT Mexican druglords usually employ American citizens without criminal record to buy two or three rifles in different sales, that are later shipped through the border in cars of trucks that have hideouts.
Firearm legizlation in the USA doesn't force weapon stores to notify the government about rifles and high-caliber guns sales.
Arizona's general prosecutor, Terry Goddard, signaled that gun traffic is like an "ants parade" and it's really hard to fight it because of the relatively small sales from individual providers.
The Mexican government, who strengthened it's fight against drug dealers since 2006, with president Felipe Calderón, informed that in 2008 they confiscated 20 thousand weapons from drug cartels, the majority coming from the USA.
Iknadosian will face a trial on march the 3rd where he will be accused of fraud,
conspiracy and delictive association, because according with the investigations, druglords paid him the weapons in advance, and buyers were then hired who filled the required paperwork.
Besides, he sold weapons to undercover agents that explicitly informed him that they will resale them in Mexico.
Thomas M. Baker, Iknadosian attorney, declared that his client is innocent, and he refused to make any additional remark.
translated from:
Enjuician en EU a vendedor de armas para el narco - El Universal - México
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