Thread by @AP

Tyler Sumlin and Jason Jarvis, bonded by their experiences as soldiers in Afghanistan, tried to sell a cache of stolen U.S. Army weapons in November 2018. They heard from contacts that their intended buyers planned to take the guns into Mexico. apne.ws/n8O5I97

The @AP’s AWOL Weapons series has shown how security weaknesses have allowed guns and explosives to disappear from the U.S. military — and sometimes, end up on America’s streets. apne.ws/zFcPL4g

Sumlin and Jarvis’ case reveals another threat: How determined insiders could take advantage of known security weaknesses within the military to make fast money. apne.ws/dvGry7K

The two soldiers had become close while specializing in explosive ordinance disposal in Afghanistan.  

While Sumlin left the army in late 2017, Jarvis remained. He worked in an armory at Fort Bragg, where he had access to a wealth of military equipment. apne.ws/ZppwSkQ

Jarvis took photos of equipment, and then stole it. He and Sumlin began looking for a place to offload their haul. Several other soldiers or veterans became connected to the scheme. apne.ws/bmgqNRW

A contact identified as “Evan” said he’d found a buyer who wanted everything. Jarvis loaded the equipment into a Chevy Tahoe SUV and drove south, picking up Sumlin in Florida.  

The two men then headed west, to the Texas-Mexico border. apne.ws/xodCVXj

What the men involved in the scheme didn’t know was that Evan was an informant for the Department of Homeland Security. Sumlin and Jarvis were arrested, and the stolen cache was secured in El Paso. apne.ws/ynX94Nz

Sumlin insists that drug traffickers were never discussed when he was negotiating the deal with undercover agents. But Evan told the @AP: “They were going to sell it to the Mexican cartel, period.”  apne.ws/drKVQQY