Texas man sentenced to 4 years for smuggling ammunition to Mexico
AUGUST 2, 2023
DEL RIO, TX
FIREARMS, AMMUNITION AND EXPLOSIVES
DEL RIO, Texas A Texas man was sentenced in a federal court to more than four years in prison with credit for time served for smuggling goods from the United States. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Hugo Medina, 40, of Del Rio, was sentenced Aug. 1 to 57 months in prison.
The sentencing sends a clear message to individuals who facilitate the illegal sale and movement of ammunition. Combating ammunition smuggling is a top priority for Homeland Security Investigations, said HSI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. Through collaborative law enforcement with our federal, state and local partners, we aggressively investigate individuals involved in these activities to prevent the items from falling into the hands of transnational criminal organizations.
According to court documents, Medina was selected for an inspection in the outbound lane of the Del Rio Port of Entry on Sept. 24, 2020. After he elected not to declare any weapons, ammunition, or currency over $10,000, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials found a black duffel bag containing small boxes in the trunk of Medinas vehicle. The officers confirmed that the boxes contained ammunition and took Medina into custody.
Following a vehicle inspection scan, officers seized a total of 10,498 rounds of ammunition.
Transporting ammunition into Mexico is a serious offense, said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Jaime Esparza. Along with our law enforcement partners, my office is committed to stopping the supply of dangerous weapons across the border into Mexico.
More:
https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/texas-man-sentenced-4-years-smuggling-ammunition-mexico