Four Mexican nationals unlawfully residing in the United States made their initial appearance yesterday after allegedly making false statements on their application to purchase firearms and for illegally possessing firearms.
Samuel Rodrigo Melo Santos, 27, Samuel Amador Ortega, 23, Aldo Melo Amador, 23, and Oscar Amador Ortega, 21, have been charged by criminal complaint with alien in possession of a firearm and making false statements on ATF Form 4473.
According to court documents, in July 2025, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigators, as part of a compliance inspection, began reviewing ATF Form 4473, known as the Firearms Transaction Records, of a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) in Cave Junction.
During the inspection, investigators observed repeated sales of the same make and model of firearm by a group of individuals sharing the same address in O’Brien and Medford, indicative of firearms trafficking.
As of July 22, 2025, O. Amador Ortega, has purchased 25 firearms from the FFL in Cave Junction and two other FFLs located in Southern Oregon. Since April 4, 2025, S. Amador Ortega has purchased a total of 16 firearms from this FFL. Melo Amador began purchasing firearms from the FFL in March 2024 and his last purchase was on June 14, 2025.
On ATF Form 4473, defendants wrote “Mexico” for place of birth and checked the box next to the United States for country of citizenship. An immigration query concluded they have no legal status in the United States and are residing unlawfully in the United States.
Melo Santos, S. Amador Ortega, Melo Amador, and O. Amador Ortega made their first appearance in federal court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. They were ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
