FORT WORTH -- Three men pleaded not guilty in federal court Wednesday in connection with an attempt to buy 20 fully automatic AK-47 assault rifles and transport them to Mexico.
Jesus Salvador Garcia, Noe Delarosa and Juan Arriaga Jr. tried to buy the weapons last month from agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration last month, according to federal officials. The men are charged with one count each of unlawful possession of a machine gun. They remain in custody.An appointed attorney for one of the men said he believes two are U.S. citizens and the third is not.Despite public outcry over the ATF's Operation Fast and Furious, which was meant to monitor gun trafficking to Mexico, the agency continues to work toward stanching the flow of arms fueling bloody cartel wars. The case also shows that smuggling efforts extend far north of the border.Making the exchangeOn June 5, after showing agents cash that they said totaled $10,000, the three men said that "they needed to get approval from unknown persons prior to spending the money on the firearms," according to court documents.Two days later, Garcia said he had obtained approval to buy 20 fully automatic AK-47s for $600 each and that the transaction would take place when Garcia was back in the Fort Worth area, the complaint says.On June 19, the agents met the men in Fort Worth and were showed what was purported to be $12,000. The agents exchanged the guns for the money.The indictment identifies one gun as a 7.62 caliber Zastava AK-47. The model described can fire 620 rounds per minute and can be equipped with a grenade launcher, according to the Zastava Arms website.Fast and FuriousFast and Furious was a bungled government gun-tracking operation in which agents allowed guns to be moved across the border with the hope of tracking them to Mexican cartels. Many weapons were lost, and two were found at the scene in the killing of a U.S. border agent.ATF spokesman Tom Crowley said numerous weapons trafficking investigations in the Fort Worth area have involved guns destined for Mexico."I'm not saying we haven't had a bunch of cases in El Paso too, but this is not just a border issue," he said. "It's an issue throughout most of the states. We've had investigations in Oklahoma" and beyond.He said the traffickers may feel more of a comfort zone farther from the border but also buy larger quantities of weapons to make the trip worthwhile.Crowley, a 25-year ATF veteran, said gunrunning to Mexico is nothing new. One of his first assignments was a case involving gun trafficking to Mexico at a flea market. The difference today is that traffickers are after more military firepower, he said."We've even had .50-caliber weapons being trafficked," he said.Don L. Davidson, a Bedford attorney appointed to represent Delarosa, said he is still investigating the case and could not comment.Darren Barbee, 817-390-7126Twitter: @DarrenBarbee