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Two Ohio men were arrested by undercover agents earlier this month after trying to send several dozen rifles to drug cartels in Mexico, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida announced Tuesday.
Yuendry Rodriguez Hilario, 28, and Saleh Yusuf Saleh, 24, were charged with conspiracy to transfer firearms to commit a felony, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and other crimes.
Undercover federal agents first made contact with the two suspects while posing as Mexican drug cartel members in 2021. The suspects allegedly described selling AR-15s and AK-47s to El Salvadorans, and offered cocaine and fentanyl for distribution, according to prosecutors.
In late 2021, Hilario and Saleh are accused of arranging the sale of 90 rifles and a submachine gun with a silencer to undercover agents in Ohio and Florida.
Then earlier this month, Hilario arranged the delivery of 40 AM-15 multi-caliber firearms, which Saleh allegedly assembled the parts for, according to prosecutors.
The two men were arrested on March 2 after an agent inspected a box of firearms they delivered.
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During negotiations between the suspects and investigators before the arrests, undercover agents said that their fellow fictitious cartel members in Mexico were "battling and losing," according to the indictment.
Hilario and Saleh are being held in pretrial detention and face up to life in prison if convicted. Both men allegedly confessed to trafficking firearms during interviews after their arrests.
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Top law enforcement groups and lawmakers have called for a crackdown on drug cartels following the murder of two Americans citizens and the kidnappings of two others earlier this month in Matamoros, Mexico.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, introduced a bill earlier this year to authorize military force against the cartels, while Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is introducing legislation to designate Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
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