Federal Prosecutors announced this week the first indictment in accordance with a new law that Congress passed to clamp down on gun trafficking following this spring’s shooting sprees.
Said Isaac Hernandez, 25, was nabbed by police as he drove toward the border last month, and authorities say they found 17 pistols hidden inside a panel between the back seats of the Nissan Murano he was driving.
Federal Investigators stated that he confessed to having the weapons when he was confronted. He also planned to go to Laredo in Texas to hand the guns to those who will take them to Mexico.
Mr. Hernandez claimed that he earned a profit from $50 and $100 each gun he traded.
Federal investigators claimed that they have been following Mr. Hernandez for some time. He is a U.S citizen who lives in Mexico. According to them, they had traced 231 handguns to Hernandez dating back to January. 21, 2020.
They questioned his ability to make the purchases on an income they determined was less than $10,000.
He was first charged with a complaint, and later indicted according to 18 U.S.C. 933, was part of the anti-firearms traficking law Congress adopted this year. This section prohibits the transfer of firearms to anyone who is prohibited from purchasing a gun.
Federal prosecutors initially objected to Mr. Hernandez being released on bail because of his Mexican residence. But they dropped that objection, and he was ordered released on a $75,000 bond, with a $500 deposit.
The Stop Illegally Trafficking In Firearms Act is part of the Bipartisan Safety Communities Act, which Congress passed. This was to provide investigators with new tools that would allow them to bring charges against people who straw-purchase guns or buy guns for someone else.
Backers said the legislation was a change from the old law. Before the new law, the investigation focused on paper violations. They used to charge people for making false statements in background checks.
Authorities now have an explicit statute that they can use in order to accuse people who are suspected of buying guns, and to make them turn over to banned persons.
The new law targets the illegal trade of guns between the U.S. and Mexico. Mexico has stricter firearm restrictions, while the American market offers a more convenient access point, though it is still illegal.
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