Seven people from Arizona, a California man, and a Montana man were charged in federal court because prosecutors said they had schemed and lied to buy guns they wanted to smuggle into Mexico, prosecutors announced Friday.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, the nine accused were straw purchasers, which implies they purchased firearms for others. Prosecutors said that between March 2020 and January 2024, the fraudsters signed paperwork pretending to be the owners of the guns when, in fact, they were purchasing them for someone else.
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The suspects planned to “straw purchase” more than 15 firearms, including at least three Barretts. They planned to transport 10 belt-fed semi-automatic rifles and 50-caliber ammunition south of the border.
On July 26, 2023, the Justice Department said that six of the firearms had been seized immediately after they were illegally purchased. On March 24, 2025, Mexican investigators discovered another gun tied to the conspiracy.
The nine suspects were later put into custody. They are:
- Alejandro Corona, 32, of Yuma, Arizona
- Jonathan Ventura Bravo, 32, of Phoenix
- Marvin Agustin Teutle, 29, of Laveen
- Jesus Roberto Corella Mares, 33, of Mesa
- Rosario Agustin Teutle, 27, of Buckeye
- April Denise Corral Aldecoa, 24, of Yuma
- Jose Ruben Quiroz, 26, of Yuma
- Jorge Alain Corona, 28, of Gilroy, California
- Linda-Ana Grace Camarillo, 22, of Kalispell, Montana
They were charged on Tuesday. Because this is a federal case, no mug shots were released.
Federal prosecutors emphasized that a straw purchase is a severe crime punishable by up to ten years in prison and a large fine. This investigation is part of a larger effort known as the Homeland Security Task Force, which seeks to disrupt criminal organizations, gangs, and human smuggling rings.
