Federal Case Against Illegal Immigrant
Authorities have initiated a gun trafficking case against an illegal immigrant who reportedly exploited private sales at gun shows to bypass background checks that would have identified him as an unlawful buyer.
Andres Avila and his son, a U.S. citizen, were apprehended after spending over six hours at a gun show in Oklahoma, where federal agents observed them purchasing firearms from multiple vendors.
According to agents, Avila was seen making phone calls while negotiating deals with sellers, suggesting he was conducting straw purchases on behalf of another individual.
A federal agent revealed in an affidavit that they linked 78 firearms to the father and son duo. The father, aged 48 and prohibited from owning guns due to his immigration status, was found with large quantities of ammunition when officers stopped their vehicle.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement stated that the men used cash transactions to buy firearms from private sellers in an effort to evade law enforcement scrutiny.
Travis Pickard, special agent in charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas office, commented on the situation: “Oftentimes, illegally trafficked firearms end up in the hands of drug cartels, terrorists, foreign adversaries, or other bad actors.”
The investigation also led to the arrest of Avila’s wife and Anthony Avila’s mother, who is also undocumented.
Gun control advocates are urging reforms to tighten regulations on sales at gun shows, arguing that these events create loopholes allowing individuals barred by federal law to acquire weapons.
Current federal background check laws apply only to transactions involving licensed dealers; thus, private sellers at gun shows are typically exempt from these requirements.
This investigation was a collaborative effort involving HSI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
An ATF agent testified that Avila and his son had previously coordinated with a pawn shop owner in Texas to obtain vendor passes for the Tulsa gun show by paying double the standard rate. The pawn shop owner allowed them to store their purchased firearms at his booth but later abandoned them upon learning about Avila’s illegal status.
Both father and son now face charges related to firearm trafficking.
