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SALT LAKE CITY -- Two men, purported to be illegal immigrants, have been arrested after being accused of selling various firearms to other illegal immigrants.
Raul Hernandez-Reyes, 26, and Andres Cervantes-Pulido, 28, both of Mexico City, were arrested by agents from the Statewide Enforcement of Crimes by Undocumented Residents (SECURE) Task Force for investigation of possession and sale of firearms by restricted persons to restricted persons. The investigation also involved officers from the Attorney General's office, Unified Police and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
Leo Lucey, who serves as the section chief over the strike force within the Utah Attorney General's Office, said investigators are still working to determine where the weapons are coming from, but said they believe they are being bought and smuggled into Mexico.
"That's typically what we're seeing," he said. "Most of the weapons going across, it's drugs coming into the United States and money and weapons going the other direction."
Lucey noted officials are unsure if the men are linked to any specific gang or drug cartel. "We do know that at least one of the two was involved with methamphetamine," he said.
The pair was picked up following an investigation spanning several months that showed guns being sold at public parking lots and local businesses.
"The information was received from residents and business people from within the immigrant community who were concerned," he said. "They don't want these kinds of crimes here any more than you or I."
According to the Attorney General's Office, the men sold an unregistered silencer and hundreds of rounds of high power handgun and rifle ammunition in addition to various illegal firearms. In total, Lucey said there were at least seven transactions made since the investigation began in November.
"The information was received from residents and business people from within the immigrant community who were concerned." Leo Lucey with the Utah Attorney General's Office
The majority of the firearms were fully loaded when they were sold at locations throughout the Salt Lake Valley.
"One gun being sold that way on the street is a real big deal," Lucey said, "whether it be a personal crime, an assault or where a homicide is committed or a robbery."
"Unlike some other illegal weapons seized by the SECURE Strike Force, these guns were top quality firearms in excellent condition," Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said. "Utah communities are safer tonight because the criminals who sold these guns are behind bars and these guns are not in the hands of other criminals who cannot legally possess them."
Hernandez-Reyes and Cervantes-Pulido were charged with multiple counts of possession and sale of firearms by a restricted person. Lucey said more charges could come if the pair are federally indicted as early as next week.
Both men are currently being held in the Salt Lake County Jail.
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Story written by Emiley Morgan and Marc Giauque with contributions from Anne Forester.
