PHOENIX – A man who bought two rifles found at the scene of a fatal shooting of a federal agent near the Arizona-Mexico border is set to be sentenced for his part in a gun smuggling ring targeted in the botched investigation known as Operation Fast and Furious.
Jaime Avila Jr. faces up to 10 years in prison for his acknowledged role as a straw buyer for the ring that authorities say smuggled guns into Mexico for use by a drug cartel.
Two AK-47 variants bought by Avila were found after the December 2010 shootout that killed Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry near the Arizona border city of Nogales.
The firefight was between agents and five men who had sneaked into the country from Mexico for the purpose of robbing marijuana smugglers.
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