A Texas man has been sentenced to prison for supplying guns to a Mexican cartel.
Within a year, the man is believed to have purchased approximately 20 military-grade guns for the Sinaloa Cartel.
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Cartel gun supplier sentenced
Edgar Raul Moreno, 50, received a 78-month prison sentence in federal court on Thursday.
The six-and-a-half-year sentence was imposed for his role in a plot to provide guns to the Sinaloa Cartel, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
Moreno was revealed in court to have purchased at least 20 guns for the cartel, including about 20 belt-fed rifles. He reportedly received $1,000 to $1,400 for every gun purchased.
Moreno was arrested after ATF investigators observed him purchasing an M249S belt-fed rifle from a licensed dealer in San Antonio.
What they’re saying: “Funneling high-powered weapons to Mexican drug cartels threatens our national security and is inexcusable,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Firearms trafficking fuels violence on both sides of the border and empowers the cartels that poison our communities. Our office will continue to vigorously prosecute people who ‘lie and buy’ on behalf of cartels or anyone else.”
“This sentence underscores the serious consequences that come with illegally trafficking firearms, especially when those weapons are destined for violent criminal organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel for the ATF Houston Field Division. “Straw purchasing is not a victimless crime—it fuels cartel violence, endangers communities on both sides of the border, and threatens national security. This case is a testament to the relentless efforts of our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local levels, who worked together to dismantle this dangerous pipeline and bring those responsible to justice.”
