Four Accused in Southern Oregon Firearms Case
Federal prosecutors allege false statements and illegal firearm possession by four individuals unlawfully residing in the U.S.
MEDFORD, Ore. — Four Mexican nationals unlawfully residing in the United States made their initial appearances in federal court Thursday after being accused of illegally possessing firearms and making false statements during firearm purchases, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Samuel Rodrigo Melo Santos, 27; Samuel Amador Ortega, 23; Aldo Melo Amador, 23; and Oscar Amador Ortega, 21, were each charged by criminal complaint with being an alien in possession of a firearm and making false statements on ATF Form 4473, the required federal firearms transaction record.
According to court documents, the investigation began in July 2025 when Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigators conducted a compliance inspection of a federal firearms licensee in Cave Junction. During the review of ATF Form 4473 records, investigators identified repeated purchases of the same make and model of firearms by individuals who shared the same addresses in O’Brien and Medford. Authorities described the purchasing pattern as indicative of firearms trafficking.
Investigators allege that, as of July 22, 2025, Oscar Amador Ortega had purchased 25 firearms from the Cave Junction dealer and two additional federal firearms licensees in Southern Oregon. Since April 4, 2025, Samuel Amador Ortega is alleged to have purchased 16 firearms from the Cave Junction dealer. Aldo Melo Amador began purchasing firearms from the dealer in March 2024, with his last purchase recorded on June 14, 2025. Authorities allege he purchased a total of 36 firearms from that dealer, along with five additional firearms from two other dealers in Medford. Since May 2024, Samuel Rodrigo Melo Santos is alleged to have purchased 91 firearms from the Cave Junction dealer.
Court documents state that on ATF Form 4473, the defendants listed “Mexico” as their place of birth while checking the box indicating United States citizenship. An immigration records query later concluded that all four individuals had no legal status in the United States and were residing unlawfully in the country.
All four defendants appeared Thursday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge and were ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
The case is being investigated by ATF with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Judith Harper is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Cover image: stock photo, freepik
