A federal indictment has been filed against a 31-year-old migrant and a member of the Tren de Aragua gang, both from Venezuela, on charges of illegal gun trafficking in New York City.
According to the indictment, Jose Rafael Gavidia Morales, a Venezuela national who allegedly entered the country illegally, along with Juan Sanchez, a Tren de Aragua gang member, conspired to smuggle and sell weapons to individuals on the streets of New York.
The indictment, filed in Manhattan federal court, alleges that from September 2019 to December 2021, Gavidia Morales and Sanchez worked together to obtain guns from various sources, including law enforcement auctions, and then distributed them to known gang members, drug dealers, and other violent criminals.
Court documents reveal that the pair exploited vulnerabilities in U.S. firearms laws to buy and sell hundreds of weapons, including handguns, rifles, and shotguns. They allegedly smuggled the guns into the United States, hidden in vehicles or luggage, or purchased them illegally from straw purchasers.
The pair’s illegal operation was allegedly shut down after the NYPD received intelligence about their activities, leading to a sting operation that resulted in the seizure of several weapons, including a MAC-10 submachine gun and a Glock handgun.
Gavidia Morales, who is believed to have had previous connections to the Venezuelan military, faces 15 counts, including conspiracy, firearms trafficking, and money laundering. Sanchez faces 10 counts, including firearms trafficking and possessing a firearm while committing a drug trafficking crime.
Both defendants could face up to life in prison if convicted on the most serious charges. An arraignment date has yet to be set.