Wiretap Results in Weapons Charges

New York, NY —

US authorities have charged 18 people with weapons trafficking. Officials say the scheme was to smuggle grenade launchers, shoulder-fired missiles and other Russian military weapons into the country.

US Attorney David Kelly says the arrests resulted from a year-long wiretap investigation that used a confidential informant posing as an arms trafficker selling weapons to terrorists.

Kelley says the defendants also are charged in a criminal complaint with conspiring to traffick in machine guns and other assault weapons, and with selling eight such weapons during the investigation.

Kelley's office says details of the investigation were to be discussed at a late-morning news conference with officials from the FBI and the New York Police Department.