Fugitive Chinese national sentenced for arms export violations
SEATTLE – A Chinese smuggler was sentenced Friday to three years in federal prison for trafficking firearms, firearms parts and ammunition out of the United States without the proper export control licenses.
Yong Guo, 45, a Chinese national illegally in the U.S., pleaded guilty in February to the scheme uncovered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). According to court documents, Guo illegally purchased firearms, firearms parts and ammunition and sold and shipped them to people in Hong Kong and China. From August 2012 to June 2014, Guo shipped at least 80 packages using false names and address from various post offices in King and Pierce counties.
“Exporting restricted items, such firearms components and ammunition, without the permission of the U.S. government, is a crime.” said Brad Bench, special agent in charge of HSI Seattle. “Mr. Guo knew this and made attempts to evade detection by falsifying export documents, nonetheless his scheme was detected by law enforcement. Stemming the illicit export of firearms, arms components and other sensitive military technology is a high priority for HSI.”
In two instances described in the plea agreement, Guo shipped a number of .22-caliber rifle bolt assemblies to a contact in Hong Kong. A few weeks later, he shipped numerous other parts for .22-caliber rifles. Both packages, which were seized by law enforcement, bore labels falsely claiming the contents included “steel blocks,” “toy parts,” and a “canvas bag.”
“Illicit firearms trafficking fuels crime and conflicts around the world,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “I commend the work of Homeland Security Investigations, with the cooperation of our international partners, to uncover this kind of wrongdoing and ensure dangerous weapons do not end up in the wrong hands.”
Guo is currently wanted by Chinese authorities for firearms smuggling.
HSI received assistance with the investigation from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, Interpol Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Police Force, and the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
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