News Releases and Statements

A former mayor of Columbus, N.M., Eddie Espinoza, was sentenced Thursday to four years and three months in federal prison in connection with a firearms straw purchasing and trafficking scheme. Espinoza is the fourth of 12 convicted defendants to be sentenced in this case. The investigation was conducted by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations.

Ian Garland, 52, a federally licensed firearms dealer did business as Chaparral Guns in Chaparral, N.M. That's where his co-conspirators purchased weapons which were later smuggled to Mexico.

Juan Ricardo Puente-Paez was sentenced to seven years and 11 months in federal prison for trafficking firearms, ammunition and military vests, following an investigation that began in May 2010 conducted by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Jose Luis Santos-Garcia, a resident of Winston-Salem, N.C., pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to conspiring to smuggle munitions to Mexico, following an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations, the Jackson County Criminal Interdiction Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

"Twelve suspects were taken into custody Tuesday in the culmination of a long-term probe dubbed ""Operation Middle Man"" targeting a Bay Area-based heroin trafficking ring by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the California Department of Justice-led South Bay Metro Task Force. "

Kenneth Kassab of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., was taken into custody without incident Thursday on charges related to the unlawful transportation of explosives and possession of explosives by a convicted felon. He is suspected of possessing more than two tons of bomb-making materials.

A Lakewood man arrested during a three-month federal crackdown on illegal firearms and violent repeat offenders in King County was found guilty Thursday by a federal jury.

Two brothers were arrested Tuesday for allegedly smuggling more than 6,000 rounds of ammunition and hundreds of firearm magazines into Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Robert Pitman, Western District of Texas.

Nine of 11 individuals indicted for illegally selling firearms were arrested Wednesday in four different municipalities in Puerto Rico.

Minneapolis resident Fabian Patricio Lojano-Lojano was sentenced to two years in federal prison Monday for smuggling AK-47 assault rifle components to Paraguay. Lojano-Lojano admitted that on June 23, 2010, he dropped off a package at a UPS station in Minneapolis. He said the package contained t-shirts, but it actually contained parts for AK-47s.

Three local men who pleaded guilty in November 2011 to various firearms offenses were sentenced on Tuesday, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldana, Northern District of Texas.

Two San Antonio men have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a firearms straw purchasing and trafficking operation.

Two South Texas men, Guillermo Enrique Villarreal and Leoncio Sanchez, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to illegally exporting about 3,000 rounds of ammunition to Mexico without a license. The investigation was conducted by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Manuel Gomez Barba was sentenced on Monday to eight years and four months in federal prison for illegally exporting firearms, one of which was used to murder ICE HSI Special Agent Jaime Zapata in February 2011.

"Manuel Tijerina-Herrera, a U.S. permanent resident residing in McAllen, Texas, was sentenced on Thursday to 10 years in federal prison for possessing an unregistered silencer and for his leadership role in a weapons ""straw purchasing"" ring."

Senior U.S. District Judge George P. Kazen also sentenced Yvonne Garcia Inocencio, 32, of Laredo, Texas, to a three-year term of supervised release after she completes her prison sentence.

Three men were sentenced on Tuesday for making false sworn statements on federal forms to buy firearms from federal firearms licensees and then export those firearms to Mexico. This case was investigated jointly by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

An illegal alien from Mexico, Edgar Santos Ortiz, was sentenced to 16 months in prison Tuesday for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition. The sentence resulted from an investigation conducted by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Watertown Police Department.

A South Texas resident was sentenced to seven years in federal prison Friday for his role in an illegal firearms straw-purchasing conspiracy. The investigation was conducted jointly by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

A 14-count indictment was partially unsealed Thursday revealing narcotics and firearms charges against two Houston residents. Rigoberto Vargas-Munoz and his nephew, Edgar Munoz-Munoz, are Mexican nationals illegally present in the United States that were involved in a long-term narcotics conspiracy.

Seven defendants have been indicted on federal criminal charges for their alleged role in a central California firearms trafficking ring suspected of smuggling several hundred guns to Mexico over a three-year period.

Two Mexican nationals and a resident of Laredo were sentenced on Tuesday to federal prison for conspiring to smuggle assault rifles into Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas.

A local man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on Thursday to smuggling AK-47 assault rifle parts to a third party in Paraguay. The guilty plea resulted from an investigation conducted by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), in cooperation with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Gabriela Gutierrez of Columbus, N.M. was indicted on Friday for allegedly conspiring with her husband and others to purchase firearms in the United States knowing that the weapons were intended to be smuggled into Mexico.

Richard Sleeva waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of possession of a stolen firearm stemming from his possession of stolen firearms silencers. The plea is the result of an investigation conducted by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).