An Arizona firearms dealer, Laurence Gray, was indicted by a federal grand jury last week for allegedly providing weapons to two Mexican drug cartels, the Justice Department announced Wednesday. Gray, 65, from Hereford, Arizona, is accused of knowingly supplying firearms in 2025 to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) and the Sinaloa Cartel, both designated foreign terrorist organizations by the State Department.
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Gray, owner of federally licensed dealership Grips by Larry, faces charges of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and conspiracy to provide such support. The indictment follows previous charges from last year that also implicated Barrett Weinberger, 73, of Tucson, in illegal firearms transactions.
According to court documents, Gray allegedly helped facilitate the purchase of a Colt 1911 semi-automatic pistol on February 22, 2025, with additional transactions occurring later that year. Earlier charges against Gray and Weinberger included firearms trafficking, aiding straw purchases, and making false statements during gun purchases.
The Justice Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) noted that Mexican cartels regularly employ straw purchasers in the United States to legally acquire guns, which are then smuggled illegally into Mexico. This case is part of “Operation Take Back America,” a Trump administration strategy aiming to reduce illegal immigration and dismantle transnational criminal organizations, including drug cartels.
Mexican authorities have highlighted the impact of cartel weapons trafficking, recently destroying hundreds of firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition seized from cartels operating in Sinaloa. The investigation and prosecution of individuals like Gray seek to disrupt these illicit arms flows.
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