In a significant legal development, an Arizona-based firearms dealer has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly supplying weapons to notorious Mexican drug cartels. The Justice Department revealed these charges against Laurence Gray, aged 65, from Hereford, Arizona, on Wednesday.
Gray is accused of knowingly providing firearms to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) and the Sinaloa Cartel back in 2025. Both organizations have been officially labeled as foreign terrorist entities by the U.S. State Department, underscoring the gravity of these allegations.
In a related incident highlighting the ongoing battle against cartel violence, the Mexican Army conducted a large-scale confiscation and destruction of armaments. During a ceremonial event at the 9th Military Zone in Sinaloa, Mexico, they destroyed 610 long guns, 92 handguns, 5,013 magazines, and an astonishing 316,036 rounds of ammunition. This destruction underscores the scale of the weaponry involved in cartel operations. (Image credit: Jesus Verdugo/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Gray faces charges for attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, as well as conspiracy to do so. These charges reflect the serious nature of the allegations, which point to a broader network of illegal activities.
Gray, who operates under the business name Grips by Larry and holds a federal firearms license, was previously indicted last year along with his associate, Barrett Weinberger, a 73-year-old from Tucson. Prosecutors assert that the duo was engaged in unlawful gun transactions, further entrenching their involvement in criminal activities that fuel cartel violence.
Gray, owner of Grips by Larry, a federally licensed dealer, was initially indicted last year alongside Barrett Weinberger, 73, of Tucson. Prosecutors said the pair were involved in illegal gun transactions.
On Feb. 22, 2025, Gray allegedly aided someone in the purchase of a Colt 1911 semi-automatic pistol. Other transactions happened in the ensuing months, court documents state.
The charges against them at the time included trafficking in firearms, aiding and abetting the straw purchasing of firearms and aiding and abetting material false statements during the purchase of a firearm. Last week’s indictment added material support to terrorism charges against Gray.
“Mexican drug cartels extensively use straw purchasers within the United States to legally acquire firearms and illegally smuggle them across the border,” according to the Justice Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a Trump administration initiative that streamlines efforts and resources within the Department of Homeland Security to crack down on illegal immigration and to “achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Gray’s attorney.
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