A Mexican national and his son have been charged in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for allegedly trafficking more than 75 firearms and large amounts of ammunition. Andres Avila, 48, is facing charges of trafficking firearms as well as being an alien unlawfully in the United States in possession of a firearm and ammunition. His son, Anthony Avila, 22, from Houston, Texas, is also charged with trafficking firearms.
Authorities say that agents observed the two men at a gun show participating in activities typical of straw purchasing and firearms trafficking. Both were seen wearing backpacks and working together to buy firearms. When their backpacks filled up, they reportedly emptied them into large totes stored under a vendor’s table. According to court documents, they paid cash to private sellers to avoid detection by law enforcement.
After several purchases over six hours at the gun show, agents saw Andres and Anthony leave in a vehicle with Texas license plates. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop and found large quantities of bulk ammunition marked as purchased from the gun show inside the vehicle. A records check revealed that Andres was not legally present in the United States and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition; another check confirmed Anthony was his son.
Agents spoke with vendors at the booth where the guns were stored. The vendors said they met Andres and Anthony through a Texas pawn shop and had agreed to sell them firearm magazines for cash. They also noted that Andres was not legally present in the country and identified more than 75 firearms stored in totes beneath their table.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Oklahoma Highway Patrol are leading the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Dowdell is prosecuting.
“A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law,” authorities stated.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators by coordinating resources across multiple federal programs.
