⏱ 2 min read
A Mexican national, Samuel Rodrigo Melo Santos, 27, has pleaded guilty to alien possession of a firearm and making false statements to acquire a firearm in Medford, Oregon. Between May 2024 and July 2025, Melo Santos purchased 91 firearms for $56,448 and 40,000 rounds of ammunition, claiming he bought guns and sold them to anyone, including those who couldn’t legally buy them. One of the firearms was later found in Mexico.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) launched an investigation after noticing suspicious sales patterns at a Federal Firearms Licensee in Cave Junction, Oregon. Melo Santos and his co-defendants had written ‘Mexico’ as their place of birth and claimed US citizenship on firearms transaction records, despite having no legal status in the US.
Melo Santos faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on October 9, 2026, before US District Court Judge Michael McShane. As part of his plea agreement, Melo Santos agreed to forfeit any criminally derived proceeds and property used to facilitate his crimes.
The case highlights the ongoing issue of firearms trafficking in the US, with Melo Santos’ actions demonstrating a blatant disregard for the law and a willingness to sell guns to anyone, regardless of their background or intentions.
