Weapon smuggling

Austin Man Busted For Smuggling Guns, Ammo Into Mexico

An Austin man is among those accused in a scheme involving the smuggling of machine guns and ammunition into Mexico, officials at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western Districtannounced Thursday.

Tyler Carlson, 28, of Austin; Michael Fox, 69, of Georgetown, Texas; and Tracy Garwood, 62, of Scottsdale, Ariz., were each charged with one count of conspiracy to violate multiple federal laws, including possessing and transferring unregistered machine guns and unlawfully exporting firearms to Mexico, according to the press release. Each faces up to 5 years in federal prison, officials said.

Carlson was also charged with one count of possession of an unregistered machine gun, punishable by up to 10 years in prison upon conviction. According to officials, Carlson worked with others to acquire and unlawfully smuggle 200 firearms including .50 caliber rifles and hundreds of thousands ammunition rounds to Mexico. Carlson is said to have worked Fox — a former law enforcement officer and federal firearms licensee — to illegally acquire multiple M-134G Minigun machine guns, officials said.