Osiel Cardenas Jr., the son of drug kingpin Osiel Cardenas Guillen, has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a gun smuggling charge, federal court records reflect.
Cardenas Jr. appeared Thursday before U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr., who sentenced him to 100 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
On Aug. 2, 2022, Cardenas Jr. appeared before Rodriguez, where he admitted that he knowingly tried to export from the United States to Mexico five Bushmaster rifles XM15-E2S, caliber 223-5.56 and five Zastava rifles, model M90, caliber 7.6sx39, contrary to the law and regulations of the U.S., federal court documents reflect.
On April 22, 2021, Cardenas and others attempted to purchase five AK-47 type rifles and five AR-15 type rifles.
The undercover operation took place in a Brownsville store parking lot, authorities said. Cardenas had instructed another individual to cross into Mexico to pick up the $15,000 for the weapons and to inform him when the weapons transaction had been completed.
At Thursday’s hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described Cardenas-Salinas’s role as a supervisor/manager, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas said in a news release.
“In handing down the sentence, the court noted Cardenas-Salinas had two firearms-related cases in his criminal history and continued to engage in additional criminal activity with the smuggling of weapons, repeatedly engaging in violations involving firearms,” the news release said.
At the hearing, Cardenas-Salinas apologized to the court and asked for mercy.
“The sentencing of these individuals sends a stern message that those who purchase, transport and facilitate the smuggling of weapons will face the full extent of the law,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge, Craig Larrabee, Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio. “The successful outcome of this case is a direct result of the steadfast efforts of federal agents to prevent firearms from falling into the hands of transitional criminal organizations that pose a threat to public safety in Mexico and the United States.”
In August 2018, Cardenas was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison following his conviction for illegal possession of a firearm and impersonating a U.S. Marshal. He pleaded guilty to the charges in May 2018. He was sentenced to 27 months in prison in addition to three years of supervised release. He was released from federal prison March 25, 2020, according to U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons.
His supervised release in the 2018 case ends March 24, 2023.
However, Cardenas’ legal issues aren’t over yet. He also has a pending aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge.
A Cameron County grand jury indicted him Feb. 23, 2022, on two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Federal court documents allege that Cardenas stabbed two people outside a Brownsville bar in December 2021 because he was refused entrance into the establishment due to a private party.
A hearing on this case is scheduled for March 24 before 357th state District Court Judge Juan A. Magallanes, state court documents reflect.
According to state documents, the trial in this case is scheduled to begin March 27.
