JAY, Okla. — An Oklahoma man has pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy that resulted in the trafficking of firearms to Mexican cartels, according to office of the United States Attorney.
This was part of “Operation Thor’s Hammer,” an effort to disrupt cartels’ access to firearms.
Andrew Scott Pierson, 47, of Jay, Oklahoma, entered his guilty plea on Tuesday, Nov. 9 before United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.
In May 2017, an Arkansas resident received a shipment of firearm components that had been sent to him for cerakoting, a process in which a polymer-ceramic coating is added to a firearm or its parts to improve durability.
The Arkansans realized the parts were 80 percent Colt lower receivers recognized the firearm parts as counterfeit, so he contacted law enforcement.
The counterfeit receivers were traced to an organization in Laredo, Texas, which was transporting firearm parts to Pierson in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.
Peirson assembled the parts into functioning automatic weapons for the Cartel Del Noreste (CDN) and Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG).
Pierson self-surrendered at the port of entry to United States authorities on December 10, 2018 and admitted to ordering and receiving firearm parts from the United States and manufacturing automatic weapons in Mexico for the CDN and CJNG cartels.
Law enforcement later confirmed cartel firearm availability was impaired following Pierson’s arrest.
In September 2019, a federal grand jury indicted Pierson and seven others for their involvement conspiracies to traffic in counterfeit goods and to violate the Arms Export Control Act.
Five codefendants have previously pleaded guilty, and one co-defendant remains a fugitive in Mexico.
On Tuesday, Pierson pleaded guilty to Count 2 of the Fourth Superseding Indictment, conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act.
“This case is the first successful prosecution in the country of the exportation and manufacturing of Mexican cartel firearms,” acting United States Attorney, Jonathan D. Ross said. “We are proud that this investigation made it more difficult for violent cartels to obtain firearms, and we intend to prosecute any case that will help keep guns out of the hands of these criminal organizations.”
Pierson’s crime is punishable by not more than 20 years imprisonment, a fine of not more than $1,000,000, and not more than three years supervised release.
The case was investigated by ATF and USPIS with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anne Gardner.