A licensed firearms dealer in Arizona has been indicted on federal charges of attempting to provide material support to terrorist organizations by allegedly selling weapons to two Mexican drug cartels.

Laurence Gray was charged this month after federal agents accused him of selling rifles and other firearms to members of the CJNG and Sinaloa cartels, both of which have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. government.

The charges come amid ongoing pressure from the Mexican government for the United States to stem the flow of American weapons crossing the border into Mexico. Mexican officials have long argued that weapons purchased legally in the U.S. are being smuggled south and fueling violence between cartels and government forces.

Mexico's internal conflict involving drug cartels has been characterized by sustained violence, with American firearms playing a significant role in the ongoing security crisis. The case highlights the challenges federal authorities face in preventing legally purchased weapons from reaching criminal organizations.

The Department of Justice did not immediately provide details about the specific weapons allegedly sold or the timeline of the transactions. Gray's case represents part of broader federal efforts to prosecute individuals involved in cross-border weapons trafficking to Mexican criminal organizations.