Brownsville man arrested in straw purchase case

A Brownsville man was arrested for making false statements while purchasing firearms, which where later seized by authorities in Mexico, court documents show.

Pedro Benavidez, 20, was arrested at Gateway International Bridge Wednesday afternoon after confessing to the so-called straw purchases to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents, according to a federal criminal complaint.

Benavidez appeared Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Felix Recio, who arraigned him on the charge of knowingly making false statements while purchasing firearm, court documents show.

ATF began investigating Benavidez in May when a search of the agency's database indicated that two .233-caliber rifles that Benavidez purchased in 2007 were recovered in Mexico, ATF said.

One rifle was seized on July 27, 2007 in Ciudad Camargo, Tamps.; the second rifle was seized on Feb. 8, 2008 in Reynosa, court records show.

Investigators discovered the rifles were purchased on June 1 and June 8 at gun shops in Mission and in Brownsville, when Benavidez lied on federal forms stating that he was the actual buyer of the gun, ATF said.

Once in custody, Benavidez told investigators that he received a total $900 from a Mexican citizen as payment for the purchase of the rifles, said court documents.