LOS ANGELES
A federal grand jury indicted a Long Beach woman and her son charging them with illegally shipping firearms’ parts and ammunition to the Philippines, officials announced today.
The firearms and ammunition were concealed in shipments they falsely claimed were household goods, authorities said.
Marlou Mendoza, 60, and Mark Louie Mendoza, 30, are named in separate indictments that were returned by a federal grand jury on December 10.
Marlou Mendoza was arrested last week at Los Angeles International Airport as she returned from a trip to the Philippines. Mark Mendoza is a wanted fugitive, officials said.
The Arms Export Control Act, items on the Munitions List may not be shipped to the Philippines without an export license issued by the Department of State.
“The Arms Export Control Act is designed to keep weapons out of the hands of people who may act against the interests of the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker.
Adding, “The weapons shipments charged in the indictments allowed firearm parts and ammunition to leave the United States and travel to the Philippines, where they could have been sold to anyone. Controlling the trafficking of weapons abroad is critical to protecting American interests abroad.”
Marlou Mendoza is charged with illegally shipping ammunition, was unsealed after she was taken into custody on January 20 by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Meanwhile, Mark Mendoza, who is a citizen of the Philippines, remains at large and is believed to be in the Philippines.
He is named in an eight-count indictment that charges him with conspiracy, the unlawful export of munitions, smuggling and money laundering.
Mark Mendoza, who was the president of a “tools and equipments” company known as Last Resort Armaments, ordered more than $100,000 worth of ammunition and firearms accessories, according to officials.
The items were delivered to his parent’s Long Beach residence over a six-month period in 2011. The items that Mark Mendoza ordered included parts for M-16 and AR-15-type rifles, officials said.
The money laundering charge against Mark Mendoza alleges that during the first six months of 2011, Mark Mendoza transferred more than $650,000 generated by the illegal ammunition exports from an account in the Philippines to a money remitter in Los Angeles.
Marlou Mendoza is named in a three-count indictment that accuses her of failing to provide the required written notice to freight forwarders that she was shipping ammunition.
The indictment cites three instances in 2011 when Marlou Mendoza allegedly shipped tens of thousands of rounds of .22-caliber ammunition and bullets.
The charges against the Mendozas include that an uncovered a cache of ammunition and firearms parts in an outbound crate was being shipped by Marlou Mendoza that had falsely been declared to be household effects.
In July 2011, Customs and Border Protection and the Philippine Bureau of Customs intercepted and seized three separate shipments from Last Resort Armaments containing approximately 180,000 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition, and more than three dozen receivers for AR-15 and M-16 assault rifles.
In November 2012, specials agents with Homeland Security and ATF executed a search warrant at a location associated with Last Resort Armaments, seizing more than 120,000 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition, along with AR-15 trigger assemblies, magazines, sights and rifle barrels.
“The ammunition and accessories seized in this case represent quite an arsenal. Once these goods reached the Philippines, we can’t be certain where they wound up – whether it’s in the hands of hobbyists or those with more menacing intentions,” said Joseph Macias, Special Agent in Charge for HSI Los Angeles. “That’s why such exports are closely regulated, to help prevent sensitive items from falling into the hands of those who might seek to harm America or its interests.”
ATF Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eric D. Harden said, “ATF is making clear that it if you are engaged in the business of selling firearms or dealing in munitions, you must comply with industry standards and regulations, no matter where you conduct your business – from a store, at gun shows, or over the Internet.”
Marlou Mendoza was arraigned in federal court on last week and was ordered released on a $10,000 bond pending trial, which is scheduled for March 1.
She is facing up to 15 years in federal prison.
Mark Mendoza is charged with conspiracy, three counts of unlawful export of munitions, three counts of export smuggling and one count of money laundering.
If he was convicted of all counts, Mark Mendoza is facing up to 115 years in federal prison.