|
Only have a minute? Listen instead
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Federal prosecutors have charged seven with conspiring to smuggle more than 1 million rounds of ammunition and high-powered weapons into Mexico.
A grand jury charged Mario Reyes, Kevin Uriel Garza, Jorge Luis Velasquez, Julio Cesar Rodriguez-Azua Jr., Carlos Miguel Perez-Gonzalez, Vanessa Ramos-Barrera and Anastacio Ruiz Jr. in a 16-count superseding indictment filed Oct. 4 in McAllen federal court, of which allegations range from conspiring to attempted smuggling to falsifying a federal firearms form.
The alleged scheme involves approximately 1,304,400 rounds combined with Reyes and Garza being accused of smuggling thousands of rounds. Rodriguez Azua Jr., however, is accused of smuggling about 877,000 rounds while federal prosecutors allege Perez-Gonzalez smuggled around 391,000 rounds.
The rounds in question include .50 caliber ammo; .223 caliber rounds; .308 caliber ammo; and 5.7 x 28 mm rounds, with the vast majority of the ammunition being 7.62 x 39 caliber.
The counts against Reyes, Garza, Rodriguez Azua Jr. and Perez-Gonzalez allege the scheme accused from July 11 to Aug. 18, from Aug. 19, 2021 to Aug. 18 of this year, and from Sept. 8, 2021 also to Aug. 18 of this year, respectively.
Reyes and Garza are also accused of conspiring to smuggle goods between July 11 and Sept. 29, according to the indictment.
Velasquez, meanwhile, is charged with attempting to export 1,500 rounds of .50 caliber ammunition to Mexico around Aug. 8.
The indictment also accuses Perez-Gonzalez of, on Aug. 17, possessing a Glock model 21 .45 caliber handgun while being illegally present in the U.S.
For Ramos-Barrera, she’s charged with lying on a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms form — namely ATF Form 4473 — about residing at a Channelview, Texas address to purchase firearms at Glick Twins in Pharr.
The weapons include:
>> a RomArm CAI Micro Draco 7.62 caliber pistol;
>> a Riley Defense RAK-47 7.62 x 39 mm caliber rifle;
>> a Taurus Model TX22 .22LR caliber pistol;
>> a Ruger Model LCP .380 caliber pistol;
>> a Glock model 48 9 mm caliber pistol;
>> a Ruger Model LCP II .380 caliber pistol;
>> a Glock model 42 .380 caliber pistol; and
>> a Smith & Wesson model .380 Shield .380 caliber pistol.
Those weapons were purchased between Dec. 6, 2022 and Feb. 28.
Lastly, the indictment charges Ruiz Jr. with receiving and possessing a Harrington & Richardson model 88 12-gauge shotgun, the barrel of which was less than the legal length to possess, and which was not registered in the ATF’s National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
The weapons and ammo were forfeited to federal authorities.
Counts two, nine and 10 were redacted in the indictment, as were the names of three other defendants.
Ruiz Jr. was set to be transferred to federal custody in McAllen and is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Juan F. Alanis on Monday.
