El Paso Man Arrested for Firearm Trafficking, Dealing Without a License

EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man was arrested in El Paso for alleged crimes related to trafficking and selling firearms without a license.

According to court documents, Jesse Garay, 26, allegedly purchased numerous firearms between Sept. 7, 2022 and March 24, 2023, answering on each Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Form 4473 that he was “the actual transferee/buyer of the firearm(s) listed on this form.” Private messages obtained in a search warrant allegedly revealed that Garay sold the firearms to other individuals, including a minor. Additionally, at least three of the firearms purchased by Garay are alleged to have been recovered at either crime scenes or in Mexico.

Garay is charged with one count of trafficking in firearms, one count of dealing firearms without a license, and two counts of false statement during a firearm acquisition. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for the trafficking charge, five years for the dealing without a license charge, and 10 years for each false statement charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II for the ATF Dallas Field Division made the announcement.

ATF is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mathew Engelbaum is prosecuting the case.

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

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