Charged with war weapons smuggling and illegal manufacture, the military denied any wrongdoing. He claimed to own guns at home as part of a personal passion and business, noting that his retirement was marked by a struggle with adjustment disorder rather than deliberate criminal intent.
The Seventh Circuit of the Madrid County Court convened to hear the case of Juan MSQ this Wednesday. The defendant, a retired infantry brigade member, faces a prosecutor’s office charge of eight years for smuggling weapons of war, illegal production, and possession of ammunition. The state asserts that he purchased and sold this weaponry in large volumes both domestically and internationally to rehabilitate and distribute illicitly.
In a registry entry dated December 12, 2012, authorities located 15,743 cartridges, two grenades, and substantial equipment suited for refurbishing rifles or pistols. Officials also found 4,000 euros and 2,800 dollars on the premises.
The soldier had previously been tried for these matters in 2019, but the Supreme Court ruled that the chamber had violated his right to present a final statement, ordering a retrial, as explained to Efe by the law firm PFSG Justicia.
During the daytime testimony, the defendant claimed that part of the arsenal in his home did not belong to him. He said he never purchased guns online and that an American friend, who worked as a sailor, had never sent him components. He maintained that none of the items were sold beyond what was legally permitted.
He admitted that gun collecting and the related hobby were part of his life, noting that his collection ranged up to fifty pieces, yet insisting that all items remained under administrative control.
“I served in the military for 35 years; it is my passion, my life. I am a gun collector, and these firearms are my passion”, Juan MSQ stated. He emphasized that after retiring from the Armed Forces in 2016, he developed a mixed adjustment disorder and currently receives psychiatric treatment, with a disability assessment at 33 percent.”
Authorities confirmed the involvement of an American and a Belgian national in the matter, indicating that these individuals received military training abroad to enhance their readiness for deployments in places such as Afghanistan and Lebanon.
shopping in the USA
“I had no intention of using my home for criminal purposes or harming people or property”, he asserted during questioning.
A weapons expert working with United States authorities described suspicions that an American citizen had sent gun parts to the defendant on several occasions, which were later recovered at his home. The investigators also confirmed the presence of a Belgian arsenal associated with illicit activity.
The expert explained that certain parts of weapons, such as cannons, are legally categorized as weapons, and that the defendant’s residence housed a considerable number of firearms and ammunition. A designated workshop for collection and a room containing five heavy hydraulic presses were also located on the premises.
Investigators found a business card bearing the defendant’s name, phone number, and email address, presenting him as an arms and parts trader with a homemade accounting record of purchases and sales.
Tedax officials disclosed that two grenades were discovered in the defendant’s home, one intended solely for instructional purposes and the other for practical use.
As the hearing concluded, the prosecution pressed its case by tying the defendant to a criminal organization, while the defense urged acquittal on the grounds that the weapons and parts found were either deactivated or not classified as war weapons, and thus should not be construed as weapons of war. The final determination remains pending.