New Mexico County Police Officials Named in Gun-Trafficking Scheme

Two Albuquerque, New Mexico police officials have been named in a federal indictment involving a conspiracy to traffick more than 1,000 guns the ATF classifies as machine guns, Tommy Lopez reports for KOB4. According to the indictment, Former Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales and former Laguna Pueblo Police Chief Rudy Mora played critical roles in the conspiracy, which spans at least four states, by submitting requests for the guns and lying to the feds about the reason why they wanted them. Gonzales allegedly requested 598 guns from 2015 to 2020 and Mora, who was also Gonzales’ undersheriff at the BCSO, allegedly asked for 414 guns from 2020 to 2021. Both men allegedly worked with an Albuquerque gun dealer charged in the scheme, and all their requests for guns involved him.They are not facing charges, but six other people are.