A licensed firearms dealer in Austin and an Arizona based gun maker are charged in a federal indictment handed up in San Antonio with scheming to smuggle machine guns to the Mexican cartels, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Among those indicted are Tracy Garwood, 62, head of Garwood Industries in Scottsdale, Michael Fox, 69, of Austin a former law enforcement officer and federally licensed firearms dealer, and Tyler Carlson, 28, allegedly the go-between in the deal.
U.S. Attorney John Bash says the three tried to get some very powerful weapons into the hands of the murderous cartels, from .50 caliber machine guns, to a weapon called a M-143G Minigun. That's a powerful six barrel rotary machine gun that is capable of firing up to 6,000 rounds per minute.
Unfortunately, some of the M-134G guns which were manufactured by Garwood successfully made it into Mexico.
"By arresting weapons smugglers, law enforcement cuts te supply of firearms to the drug cartles, who fuel violence and pose a threat to citizens on both sides of the border," Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden said.