SAN ANTONIO, Texas — The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is partnering with the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) to raise awareness and eliminate illegal straw-purchase gun sales in the Alamo City.
The “Don’t Lie for the Other Guy” campaign will involve a major public awareness blitz to educate the public about the dangers posed by straw purchasers to public safety in the United States and Mexico. Straw purchasers are individuals who purchase a firearm on behalf of another person who cannot legally purchase one for themselves. Engaging in the activity carries stiff penalties, including up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the straw purchaser.
The San Antonio campaign launched with a Wednesday press conference led by ATF Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel. NSSF President and CEO Joe Bartozzi, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin Simmons, and members of the San Antonio Police Department and Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the ATF, people who are ineligible to legally purchase firearms in the United States because they know they cannot pass a background check or do not want their identity associated with a firearm that may be used for nefarious reasons often turn to straw purchasers to obtain firearms illegally. Gun traffickers often recruit multiple straw purchasers to assist them in acquiring weapons that later end up in the hands of criminals, gangs, and violent drug cartels.
The problem can contribute to violence anywhere the felonious activity takes place, but the practice is exceptionally more dangerous near the southwest border, where illicit trafficking in humans, narcotics, and other contraband by the Mexican cartels is a daily occurrence. San Antonio has long been known as a significant transit center used by Mexican drug cartels when smuggling narcotics and humans farther into the United States.
The city is also in a prime location to serve as a transit node for the southbound shipment of weapons and proceeds from illicit activities conducted by the cartels in the region and farther into the United States. Numerous firearms trafficking investigations have been conducted by the ATF in and around the Alamo City, likely helping to cement the choice of San Antonio as the hub for the campaign.
In one such case, in May, Bobby Brandon Galvan, a known affiliate of La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) cartel, was convicted in federal court for his involvement in straw purchases of numerous AK-47-style rifles that were shipped to Mexico. Galvan made the purchases at prominent gun shows in the San Antonio region, including San Marcos, Texas.
An investigation by ATF showed that between September 2023 and April 2024, Galvan purchased 24 AK-47-style firearms, all of which ended up in Toluca, Mexico, for use by Mexican cartels. One weapon illegally purchased by Galvan was recovered after being used by the cartel in a shootout with Mexican law enforcement.
In August 2025, another Texas man was sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for his role in acting as a straw purchaser for the Sinaloa Cartel. Edgar Raul Moreno was arrested in San Antonio after purchasing a high-powered M249S belt-fed-rifle that was highly sought after by the cartel. According to ATF investigators, Moreno bought approximately 20 belt-fed rifles, six other rifles, five handguns, and two shotguns. Three rifles purchased by Moreno were recovered in Mexico, and one pistol was recovered in California.
ATF Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel commented on the seriousness of the dangerous straw purchasing activity, saying, “Straw purchasing is a serious federal crime that puts firearms into the hands of prohibited individuals and fuels violent crime in our communities. Through this partnership with the National Shooting Sports Foundation and our local law enforcement partners, we are reminding the public that if you buy a firearm for someone who cannot legally purchase one themselves, you can face significant federal prison time and substantial fines.
The campaign will run through September, according to the ATF.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
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