What Constitutes the Trafficking of Firearms in Texas?
Gun trafficking or smuggling is a federal criminal offense that involves buying and selling firearms through illegal channels. Such activities are considered grave offenses in Texas and thus qualify as federal gun crimes under the law. Gun trafficking ultimately contributes to gun violence in communities, often leaving a wake of devastation in towns across Texas. Individuals convicted of gun trafficking may face significant prison sentences, leading to federal investigations that often lead to additional charges. If you have been charged with gun trafficking, you need a criminal defense attorney not afraid to help you fight these heavyweight charges.
Gun Trafficking in Texas
The FBI and ATF have primary responsibility for identifying and shutting down illegal gun trafficking networks. Federal law defines gun trafficking as a profit-based offense or business. Usually, gun trafficking leads to increased crime since, through such trafficking, guns end up in the hands of people who should not have access to weapons. It is widely believed that gun trafficking is an accelerant to violent crime, including gang-related criminal activity.
Penalties for Gun Trafficking
Generally, gun trafficking in Texas constitutes a third-degree felony, potentially levying a prison sentence of between two and ten years. In cases where an offender attempts to traffic more than three guns at once, this will escalate the charge to a second-degree felony, increasing the possible prison sentence to up to 20 years, including a fine of $10,000.
As stated, Texas treats drug trafficking and smuggling as a federal offense. For people charged with drug trafficking and smuggling in Texas, the feds may decide to charge you with multiple federal gun crimes, such as selling firearms without a license or providing fictitious information to a firearms dealer, all of which will increase the severity of punishment if you are convicted.
Contact a San Antonio, TX Federal Gun Crimes Attorney
Texas is in a unique predicament regarding drug trafficking and smuggling. Because of its proximity to the Mexican border, many guns trafficked through Texas end up in Mexico. Because of this, the feds take federal gun offenses very seriously, as not only do crimes such as this affect Texans and people in the United States, but they may also affect people abroad, especially in Mexico, adding fuel to the fire of gang-related violence and other crime. If you are facing federal gun charges, contact the experienced San Antonio, Texas, federal gun crimes lawyer with Law Offices of Sam H. Lock. Call 210-226-0965 for a
Sources –
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/usao-ut/legacy/2013/06/03/guncard.pdf
https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.46.htm
https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-16-223.pdf
