A McAllen man who attempted to smuggle into Mexico 200 magazines for AR-15s despite not declaring them to port officers will serve more than 2 years in federal prison after a court handed down the sentence Monday.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez sentenced Luis Eduardo Mendoza Perez to the 30-month prison term for his role in an attempt to smuggle the ammunition into Mexico, court records show.
Federal authorities reported that the attempt to cross into Mexico was thwarted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection during a secondary search of Mendoza’s vehicle, a 2006 Pontiac G6.
After a physical search of Mendoza’s vehicle, “200 AR-15 style” magazines were found concealed underneath the rear seat and inside the spare tire well area of the vehicle, the complaint against Mendoza stated.
During his interview with federal agents, he divulged that an unknown man in Mexico hired him to smuggle the magazines from the United States into Mexico for roughly $2 per magazine, records show.
He also admitted to making prior trips with AR-15 magazines into Mexico.
“Mendoza stated he knew it was illegal to transport the magazines into Mexico and that he did not have a license to export such items to Mexico,” the complaint stated. “Mendoza admitted he had also smuggled magazines into Mexico on two previous occasions.”
Mendoza, who was arrested in May 2020, remained in federal custody during the duration of the court proceedings.
Mendoza, 20, of McAllen, pleaded guilty to one count of smuggling goods related to his May 2020 arrest at the Hidalgo port of entry, records show.
Upon completion of his prison term, Mendoza will not be required to serve a supervised release term, records show.
