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American citizen in Mexican custody on arms-trafficking allegation

By Rafael Romo, CNN Senior Latin American Affairs Editor
September 6, 2011 5:52 p.m. EDT

(CNN) -- Mexican authorities have an American citizen in custody who they say is suspected of trafficking firearms and grenades to a major Mexican drug cartel.

According to Mexico's attorney general's office, Jean Baptiste Kingery Moinssonm was allegedly smuggling firearm and grenade parts into the country. Once the goods were in Mexican territory, Moinssonm allegedly assembled and sold the weapons to the Sinaloa cartel.

Mexican federal police took Moinssonm into custody in Mazatlan, a beach resort in the Pacific state of Sinaloa, authorities said.

According to a news release Tuesday from the attorney general's office, Moinssonm was the target of a joint investigation by Mexico's Anti-Organized Crime Unit (SIEDO) and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on suspicion of smuggling grenade components and firearm parts through the border cities of Calexico, California; and Mexicali, Baja California.

ATF officials were not immediately available for comment on the attorney general's statement.

The statement said Moinssonm allegedly bought grenade components and firearm parts in gun shops in the United States and through the internet, and the weapons subsequently would be smuggled into Mexico for sale there.

A Mexican judge issued an arrest and search warrant targeting an address in Mazatlan, where the suspect was living. Mexican federal police said they seized a Hummer truck, three .22 caliber rifles and two collectible firearms.

Mexican federal police said they searched five other addresses in Mazatlan tied to the suspect and found an active fragmentation grenade, gunpowder, parts for high-caliber rifles, bullets and grenade parts.

Last April 13, Mexican police detained two Mexican suspects in the state of Baja California who were in possession of 192 inactive grenades, eight bullet-proof vests, and multiple firearm parts.

The two suspects detained in Baja California blew the whistle on another American citizen who was detained August 11 in Mexicali, Baja California. That suspect, identified by the Mexican attorney general's office as Habib Sayb Mujica, is being held under a 40-day detention order issued by a judge.

Tuesday's statement from the attorney general's office said Mujica gave police information later used to capture Moinssonm in Mazatlan.


source...

Originally Posted by Noticias

...an American...Jean Baptiste Kingery Moinssonm...

"...another American...Habib..."

What kind of a name is that? He must really be from Haiti.

Originally Posted by DENNIS

What kind of a name is that? He must really be from Haiti.

This is the photo that comes up...

I could find nothing online before when I took a look.

Cajun?

Maybe this is Habib; no commentary below the picture.



Mexico detains American in drug gang weapons probe | NTN24 NEWS

Originally Posted by DENNIS

What kind of a name is that? He must really be from Haiti.

ATF practices diversity.

Originally Posted by Marty Cortez

Mexico detains American in drug gang weapons probe | NTN24 NEWS

I find both images come up when searched:



Atrapan en Mazatlán a traficante de armas

This guy must be good. They even have different photos of the same guy getting arrested...

.