Medford, OR. — Four Mexican nationals unlawfully residing in the United States made their initial appearance in federal court Wednesday after being charged in connection with an alleged firearms trafficking scheme in Southern Oregon.
According to criminal complaints filed in U.S. District Court, Samuel Rodrigo Melo Santos, 27; Samuel Amador Ortega, 23; Aldo Melo Amador, 23; and Oscar Amador Ortega, 21, are charged with being aliens in possession of firearms and making false statements during firearm purchases.
Federal investigators say the case originated in July 2025 during a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives compliance inspection of a federally licensed firearms dealer in Cave Junction. While reviewing ATF Form 4473 firearm transaction records, agents identified repeated purchases of identical firearm models by multiple individuals listing the same residential addresses in O’Brien and Medford — a pattern investigators say is consistent with firearms trafficking.
Court documents allege that Melo Santos purchased 91 firearms from the Cave Junction dealer beginning in May 2024. Amador Ortega is accused of purchasing 25 firearms from that dealer and two other Southern Oregon dealers, while Samuel Amador Ortega allegedly purchased 16 firearms since April 2025. Aldo Melo Amador is accused of purchasing 36 firearms from the Cave Junction dealer and five additional firearms from Medford-area dealers.
Investigators allege that on ATF Form 4473, each defendant listed Mexico as their place of birth but falsely claimed U.S. citizenship. Immigration database checks later determined that all four individuals lack legal status in the United States and are residing unlawfully in the country.
The defendants appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge and were ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
The investigation is being conducted by ATF with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Judith Harper.
A criminal complaint is an accusation only, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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It’s very sad that Oregon is fighting so hard to allow illegals to remain in our country. I’m hoping people will realize what a failure Kotek has been for our state. Sadly, our elections are determined by liberals in Portland and Salem when a good part of our state is conservative.
You’re just as much as an illegal as we all are