Arizona gun store owner indicted on terrorism charges for allegedly arming Mexican cartels

PHOENIX — A federal grand jury recently indicted an Arizona gun store owner on terrorism-related charges, accusing him of attempting to supply firearms to two Mexican drug cartels designated as foreign terrorist organizations.

Laurence Gray, 65, of Hereford, was arraigned Wednesday in a Phoenix federal courtroom on charges of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and conspiracy to provide support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Gray owns Grips By Larry, a former federally licensed firearms dealer. Prosecutors allege he knowingly attempted to provide firearms to Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion on May 31, 2025, knowing the cartel had been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the Secretary of State on Feb. 20, 2025.

Gray also allegedly conspired with others “known and unknown” to the grand jury to provide firearms to both CJNG and Cartel de Sinaloa from Feb. 22, 2025, through June 11, 2025, according to court documents.

Prosecutors say Gray trafficked military-style weapons, including an Ohio Ordnance M-2-SLR .50-caliber rifle, a Barrett M82A1 .50-caliber rifle and two FNH M249S belt-fed rifles.

Terrorism charges added after cartel designated foreign terrorist organizations

Gray was previously indicted in June 2025 on firearms trafficking charges along with Barrett Weinberger, 73, of Tucson. Those charges included trafficking in firearms, aiding and abetting straw purchases of firearms and aiding and abetting false statements during firearm purchases. This superseding indictment adds terrorism charges and additional firearms counts against Gray.

The terrorism charges alone each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both.

The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a Justice Department initiative launched in March 2025 to implement the Trump administration’s policy objectives. A memo from the deputy attorney general directed the operation to pursue “total elimination” of cartels from the United States, specifically naming the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG as targets.

Gray’s next court hearing is scheduled on April 3 with a potential trial scheduled for May 5.

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