Twelve individuals are now facing charges after being arrested in San Antonio for their alleged roles in a ring dealing in stolen firearms and illegal machinegun conversion devices. The arrests stemmed from a robust law enforcement effort to curtail the trafficking of illicit firearms in the region.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Western District of Texas, the defendants were indicted for various offenses, including firearm trafficking, and the possession of stolen firearms, and machineguns. Among the charges are the possession of devices known as “switches” or “auto sears,” designed to convert semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic ones.
The individuals indicted include Jonathan Adrian Briseno, 20, on multiple counts encompassing firearm trafficking and machine gun possession, and Ruben Gonzalez Jr., 29, who is charged with two counts of possession of a machine gun. Others facing charges are Joel Alejandro Martinez, Margarita Hernandez Martinez, and Julio Alejandro Sanchez, amongst several others ranging in age from 18 to 34—all facing significant penalties if convicted.
In particular, "SaTone Slick" a nickname for Briseno, faces counts spanning from firearm trafficking to possession of an unregistered machine gun, a reminder of the clandestine labels that often bespeckle the underbelly of illicit trade. The accused could see prison terms from five years for unlicensed dealing, up to ten years on possession charges, and as much as 15 years for firearm trafficking offenses, depending on the sentence imposed upon consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza led the announcement of the arrests, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducting the investigation supported by the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Wannarka and Zachary Parsons are tasked with prosecuting the case.
