Two Army reservists assigned to the La Mesa armory were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of trying to sell illegal weaponry, including miltary rifles and ammunition, to a member of a Mexican drug cartel.
Jaime Casillas, 22, of El Cajon and Andrew Reyes, 34, of La Mesa wore their uniforms during at least one transaction with what they believed was a cartel member but was actually an undercover federal agent, according to court documents.
The two were taken to the downtown federal prison and are set to be arraigned Thursday in San Diego federal court.
Each faces a charge of dealing in firearms without a federal license. Reyes faces a charge of unlicensed transportation of weapons. Casillas is a Mexican national.
Documents accuse the two of seven transactions in which they sold thousands of rounds of ammunition, four AR-15 rifles, an AK-47 assault rifle, a .40-caliber pistol, and a 7.62-caliber SKS rifle to the undercover agent.
The AR-15 is the civilian equivalent of the M-16 used by the military.
The AK-47, whose invention is attributed to Mikhail Kalashnikov, has been mass-produced in several Eastern Bloc countries and is a favorite weapon of U.S. enemies in Iraq and Afghanistan and of Mexican cartel members. It is known as sturdy and easy to use.
Casillas and Reyes also sold ceramic body armor to the agent that was allegedly stolen from the U.S. military, according to prosecutors.
In one transaction, the two wore their Army uniforms and received $2,150 from agent for an AR-15 rifle. In an eight-month investigation, 10 weapons were purchased, according to court documents.
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