A federal grand jury indicted 28 people on firearms offenses following a two-year investigation by the Homeland Security Task Force in Arizona, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.
The 158-count indictment charges Fernando Daniel Castro of Phoenix and 27 others with conspiracy, illegal gun selling and trafficking, and making false representations during gun transactions.
Prosecutors claim Castro recruited others to purchase weapons from licensed dealers in Arizona and then resell them for a profit.
Some of the firearms, including Glock 19 handguns and AK-style rifles, were intended for export outside of the United States, according to the indictment.
The case stemmed from four previously charged federal investigations that led to the seizure of over 100 firearms and 125,000 rounds of ammunition in Arizona.
In one connected example, a man was apprehended while attempting to cross into Mexico with 42 AK-style guns in his truck.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the United States Border Patrol headed the investigation.
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