LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- Testimony continued Monday in the Reese family gun smuggling trial from Deming in a Las Cruces District Court.
Jurors heard from Rick Reese and his wife Terri about purchases made at the store during the time period when undercover agents were investigating the family owned and operated gun store.
New Deal Shooting Sports was owned and operated by Rick Reese, his wife Terri Reese and their two sons Ryin Reese and Remington Reese.
All four were indicted on similar gun smuggling charges.
Federal law enforcement agencies first found out about the illegal activities in Decemeber 2010, according to the indictment.
Between April 2011 through July of the same year, agents were running undercover operations where the family of four allegedly sold 16 guns and more than 7,000 rounds of ammunition knowing that the agents and an informant would be smuggling the guns illegally into Mexico
During Rick Reese's testimony Monday, he says he did make statements to Jose Roman who was working with Homeland Security about him hoping the guns were taken into Mexico.
"I was hoping that the people being victimized would be able to defend themselves," Reese said.
He says a family friend had recently been kidnapped and murdered so he said those comments out of anger and never meant those statements to be taken seriously.
Terri Reese testified as to what their process is when someone comes into the store to buy a gun.
Throughout the afternoon she repeatedly stated she was the one who prompted the investigation after suspicious activity from one of their customers.
"We would never sell to anyone we suspected was committing crimes," said Terri Reese while on the stand.
She testified she received a "trace form" after a customer's gun was found in Mexico, according to prosecutors.
When asked if she aware the guns bought by undercover agents were straw purchases for other people, she said they were legitimate sales.
"They were standard, normal transactions, said Reese. "Those people purchased those firearms for themselves."
The trial will resume Monday morning with more testimony from Terri Reese. Closing arguments could be possible by the afternoon.
