Texas man indicted for alleged role in multimillion-dollar firearm trafficking scheme following HSI, federal partner investigation

SAN ANTONIO — A federal grand jury in San Antonio returned a superseding indictment charging a Texas man with eight counts related to the smuggling of firearm parts into Mexico and a conspiracy to commit money laundering. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement.

Chandler Britain Bradford, 34, of New Braunfels, is charged with one count of conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States; one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms; one count of conspiracy to transfer firearms for use in a felony; four counts of aiding and abetting the smuggling of goods from the United States; and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to court documents, Bradford was allegedly engaged in a multimillion-dollar scheme to illegally provide thousands of semiautomatic rifles to a Mexican citizen who lived in the Monterrey area of Nuevo Leon, Mexico. He supplied enough firearm parts to arm the recipient with approximately 4,800 semiautomatic rifles despite not having a license to export firearm parts from the United States to Mexico. Court documents allege that Bradford provided his co-conspirator with the parts, tools and counsel needed to facilitate a full firearm manufacturing enterprise in northern Mexico, and that Bradford received more than $3.5 million from his co-conspirator.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas William Calve is prosecuting the case.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’ largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.