HSI investigation results in Oklahoma man’s conviction for smuggling firearm into Mexico

ALPINE, Texas — A federal jury in Pecos, Texas, convicted an Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, man last week for illegal smuggling of goods from the United States. The conviction follows an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations is assisting with the case.

Jesus Soto-Parra, 31, drove into Mexico in December 2022 and Mexican authorities denied him entry due to vehicle registration issues. As Soto-Parra returned through the Presidio Port of Entry, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered a firearm, body armor and ammunition in his vehicle, according to court documents and evidence presented at the two-day trial.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Cayton and Matthew Ellis are prosecuting the case.

HSI encourages you to report allegations of cross-border weapons trafficking by submitting tips at www.ice.gov/tips or by calling the HSI Tipline at 866-347-2423 from the U.S. and Canada, or 802-872-6199 from any country in the world.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.