McALLEN — A Mexican man will serve a 30-month prison term for his role in attempting to smuggle into Mexico more than a 1,000 rounds of ammunition, records show.
U.S. District Judge Randy Crane sentenced Anastacio San Miguel Padron to the more than two-year prison sentence related to his arrest in September 2019 arrest attempting to enter into Mexico with more than a thousand rounds of ammunition.
According to the complaint, on Sept. 23, 2019, Padron, who identified himself as a Mexican citizen from Reynosa, Mexico, attempted to enter Mexico through the Hidalgo port of entry.
During Padron’s inspection, he admitted he had ammunition within the vehicle, which led U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to discover more than 1,1000 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition, and at least one 75-round, high-capacity ammunition magazine, records show.
While being interviewed by federal agents, Padron admitted to traveling from Reynosa, Mexico, to Hidalgo County to purchase and obtain high-capacity firearm ammunition and then transport it back into Mexico, the documents state.
Padron will not be required to serve additional supervised release upon completion of his prison term, but likely will be deported as he does not have legal status to remain in the country.
Weapons and ammunition, like the ones involved in this case, purchased legally and illegally in the U.S., are often smuggled into Mexico and end up in the hands of criminals, exacerbating the violence perpetrated by drug cartel organizations as a result of the drug trade.
