South Texas man sentenced to more than 6 years in federal prison for illegally exporting grenade-launcher barrels to Mexico
MCALLEN, Texas — A south Texas man was sentenced Tuesday to more than six years in federal prison for his involvement with unlawfully exporting grenade-launcher barrels and other munitions to Mexico.
This sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
Erik Perez-Bazan, 27, from Hidalgo, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez to 75 months in prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Perez-Bazan pleaded guilty Aug. 28, 2013 to conspiring to export items on the U.S. Munitions List without permission or authorization.
“This sentence sends a clear message to individuals who purchase, transport or facilitate the attempted smuggling of weapons, ammunition and other related items. Preventing these items from being acquired from or delivered to the wrong hands is a top priority for HSI,” said Janice Ayala, special agent in charge of HSI San Antonio. “We will continue working with our domestic and international law enforcement partners in this vital effort.”
Perez-Bazan was convicted of engaging in a conspiracy to illegally export munitions to Mexico from December 2012 through June 2013. However, as part of his plea, he admitted he had been doing so for five or six years.
According to court documents, HSI discovered that Perez-Bazan was acquiring M203 40mm grenade-launcher barrels which are designated as defense articles on the U.S. Munitions List for export into Mexico. Perez-Bazan admitted he had recruited other individuals to acquire, receive and export firearms into Mexico without an export license or permission to do so. In one specific instance, Perez-Bazan recruited Jose Gonzalez-Salinas, 41, of Reynosa, Mexico, to receive five M203 barrels so they could then be collected and unlawfully exported into Mexico in December 2012. Later that month, Perez-Bazan assisted in acquiring money orders to purchase three additional M203 barrels. However, Perez-Bazan and his co-conspirators became aware of federal investigators and fled to Mexico.
Perez-Bazan was later taken into custody when he entered the Pharr Port of Entry and was questioned by HSI special agents.
Gonzalez-Salinas also pleaded guilty in a separate, but related, case and is set for sentencing before Chief U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa Oct. 21.
Perez-Bazan has been detained without bond since his arrest due to nature of the offense and the fact that he had previously fled to Mexico.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Schammel, prosecuted this case, Southern District of Texas.
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