Seven individuals have been charged in connection with an alleged firearms trafficking operation, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei of the Southern District of Texas.
The indictment names Shenghua Wen, 39, a Chinese national whose U.S. visa expired in 2013, as the leader of the group. Wen appeared in federal court in Houston following his arrest.
Other defendants include Chinese nationals Sifu Zhao, 24; Yiyang Wu, 40; and Mingtong Tan, 27—all residents of Houston—as well as Jin Yang, 60, from Ontario, California; Max Mingze Li, 36, of Houston; and Richard Arredondo, 51, a U.S. citizen living in Mexicali, Mexico.
According to the indictment returned on October 8, 2025, Wen and his girlfriend Yang purchased a gun store and directed specific firearm purchases for resale through straw purchasers including Zhao, Tan, Wu, Mingze Li and Arredondo. Wu is also accused of recruiting another straw purchaser and transporting pistols to another Houston gun dealer for further sale.
Between 2023 and 2024, the group allegedly acquired about 170 firearms and several thousand rounds of ammunition.
The charges state that Wen recruited Zhao and Tan as straw purchasers who bought firearms on his behalf along with Mingze Li and Arredondo. Some weapons were then moved to another Houston dealer for resale within the ring.
Wen and Yang face charges of conspiracy and conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking with potential sentences of five years and fifteen years respectively if convicted. Wen could receive an additional five years if found guilty on any of seven counts related to aiding and abetting false statements to a federal firearms licensee.
Mingze Li, Arredondo, Wu, Zhao and Tan each face one count of conspiracy plus various counts tied to aiding or abetting false statements made to a federal firearms licensee. Each count carries up to five years imprisonment upon conviction.
All charges may result in fines up to $250,000 per count.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation with support from Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations as well as the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ganz is prosecuting the case.
"An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law."
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas serves under the Attorney General as part of the U.S. Department of Justice (official website). The office prosecutes federal crimes—including cases like this—and represents the government in civil matters (official website). Headquartered in Houston (official website), it covers a region spanning from Houston down to the Mexican border—an area with more than nine million people across 43 counties (official website). The office partners with other law enforcement agencies at all levels (official website) and employs over 200 attorneys (official website).
