An illegal alien from Mexico and a man from Fort Worth have been indicted for unlawfully acquiring two firearms in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as announced by Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Nancy E. Larson.
Oscar Guadalupe Cruz Gonzalez, 28, and U.S. citizen Jose Juan Flores, 45, face charges including Conspiracy to Make False Statements to a Licensed Firearms Dealer and Acquiring a Firearm by False or Fictitious Statement. Cruz Gonzalez is also charged with Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien. Their initial court appearances took place earlier this month.
The indictment alleges that Cruz Gonzalez paid Flores approximately $2,500 to purchase two semi-automatic rifles in early 2023. The rifles were acquired from separate dealers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Cruz Gonzalez allegedly provided over $25,000 in total for these purchases. Flores is accused of making false statements on ATF forms to hide the intended transfer of firearms to Cruz Gonzalez.
"A straw purchase means that someone bought a firearm for a person who they knew could not legally purchase one," said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. "Here, as we allege in the indictment, Flores used a significant amount of money to purchase two firearms for an illegal alien from Mexico."
ATF Special Agent Bennie Mims emphasized the impact of such actions on national firearm laws: “Straw purchasing is a federal crime that undermines the integrity of our nation’s firearm laws and enables dangerous individuals to obtain weapons they are prohibited from possessing.”
Both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If convicted, they face up to 40 years in federal prison.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with support from Homeland Security Investigations and the Fort Worth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Eggers is handling prosecution.
