By Lee Williams
SAF Investigative Journalism Project
Special to Liberty Park Press
Six men who were living in DeLand, Florida have been sentenced for illegally straw purchasing and then trafficking 33 semi-automatic firearms that they sold to a violent Mexican drug cartel, the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, known as CJNG, which is located in Zitacuaro, Michoacan, Mexico.
According to U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Gregory W. Kehoe, the ATF began investigating the six men in May 2023. They learned that the group was led by Angel Valazquez Delgado.
“The conspirators purchased high-caliber firearms in the United States for resale to Mexican drug cartels. These cartels were and are criminal organizations engaged in the trafficking of controlled substances into the United States,” a press release states.
One batch of illegally trafficked weapons included 11 Barrett .50 caliber rifles and 16 semi-automatic FN M249S rifles, which the U.S. Attorney’s office claimed, “are easily converted into a machinegun.”
According to the press release, one of the Barretts was recovered after a gunfight that occurred March 22, 2023, between the cartel and Mexican State Police and Mexican military personnel, which claimed two lives.
“After the shooting, a Barrett, model 82A1, .50 caliber rifle purchased by Jesus Hernandez on November 8, 2022, was recovered,” the press release states.
Praise for the investigation came from those involved.
“Dismantling this Central Florida-based firearms trafficking ring is a huge win for public safety in Mexico and America,” said ATF’s Tampa Field Division’s Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard. “The CJNG is a notoriously brutal transnational criminal organization designated as a foreign terrorist organization that now has less fuel for its violent criminal activities, thanks to this joint team.”
The U.S. Attorney agreed.
“The investigation and prosecution of violent crime is one of the top priorities of my District,” said Kehoe. “These individuals have trafficked high-caliber, military-grade weapons into the hands of dangerous Mexican cartel members and thus have caused a serious risk to the health and safety of others. My office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to work to hold those who jeopardize public safety accountable for their crimes.”
According to the press release, the FBI was not involved in the investigation. The case was investigated primarily by the ATF, which was assisted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Volusia Bureau of Investigations and the DeLand Police Department,
The real story
While it is understood that the ATF would like to take all of the credit for this successful investigation, their press release leaves out how they first learned about Delgado and his merry band of straw purchasers.
According to the actual complaint, a Florida gun dealer became suspicious of Delgado after he tried to purchase his fourth Barrett rifle, which can retail for $10,000 or more. As a result, the gun dealer contacted the ATF directly.
“Specifically, on or about April 29, 2023, an employee at a federally licensed firearms dealer located in Crestview, FL, had called Defendant (Delgado) to inform him that he was not approved to purchase a .50 caliber Barrett rifle – because he had already recently purchased three such firearms – and that he should not drive to the store. Defendant informed the employee that he was already close to the store,” the complaint states.
Shortly after the dealer denied the purchase, two other defendants showed up attempting to purchase the Barrett, but the gun store owner denied the sale because he believed they “were attempting to make a straw purchase on behalf of Defendant (Delgado).”
“This suspicious activity triggered the investigation into Defendant and the firearms trafficking organization,” the complaint states.
Takeaways
A Florida gun dealer is responsible for stopping some serious weapons from making their way to a violent Mexican drug cartel. The dealer is the reason the cartel did not receive 11 Barretts, 16 semi-auto M249s and other military-style guns.
ATF’s involvement in the case began only after they answered the phone.
The U.S. Attorney said his office “along with our law enforcement partners” will continue to fight gun crime. That way of thinking is problematic, especially when ATF is one of the law enforcement partners.
It is easy to understand why ATF wants to take sole credit for this case, especially now. Plans to merge them with DEA have been put on hold. ATF’s future is murky at best.
Their track record is abysmal, and their history is blood-soaked.
Nowadays, there are far too many examples of ATF crews laughing and joking with each other as they tear apart the homes of law-abiding folks who had done nothing wrong. Ask Mark “Choppa” Manley, Pastor Russell Fincher, Patrick “Tate” Adamiak or Maer Malinowski, whose husband Bryan was shot and killed by ATF agents last March, if you need more information.
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