Brother of Juárez cop among arrests in El Paso drug, gun trafficking case
An El Paso man arrested by federal agents in a firearms trafficking sting claimed he was following the instructions of his brother, who is a Juárez police officer, court documents stated.
A federal grand jury last week handed up an eight-count indictment against four alleged members of a border smuggling group that was transporting drugs to the U.S. and firearms to Mexico, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas said.
Crime: FBI arrests 'El Alaska' after kidnapped migrant found at El Paso area stash house
Earlier this summer, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives learned of a deal to purchase 20 AK-47 type rifles and two .50-caliber Barrett rifles that would be taken to Mexico, officials said.
AK-47, .50-caliber rifles were to go to Mexico
While under surveillance by ATF agents, Rene Hernandez Cordero, 51, of Juárez, and Jesus Gerardo Ramos, 52, of El Paso, arrived in separate vehicles for a meeting with someone at a Circle K gas station on Dyer Street.
ATF agents would later learn that Hernandez was in possession of about $63,000 to pay for the weapons that Ramos would then be tasked with transporting to Mexico, stated a complaint affidavit filed by an ATF agent.
The men were shown photos of the rifles they were to receive and then drove to a nearby storage unit, where they received some of the firearms and were arrested by ATF agents.
When questioned by agents, Hernandez said he was coming from Juárez to pay for the firearms for an unknown person. He refused to provide information about the unknown subject, the complaint stated.
Archives: Sinaloa cartel member, corrupt Juárez cop gets life in US prison
According to the complaint, Ramos told the ATF that he was sent by his brother, a current Juárez police officer, to pick up the firearms to transport them in his pickup to Mexico. Ramos also showed agents text messages from his brother showing the location of the Circle K and the storage facility. The name of Ramos' brother was not disclosed.
Ramos and Hernandez each face federal straw purchasing and trafficking in firearms charges, each punishable by up to 15 years in prison, authorities said. Hernandez also faces charges of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute and bulk cash smuggling, each punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Meth, fentanyl smuggled into El Paso
A woman and a young man were also indicted in connection with drug smuggling tied to the gun trafficking case, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement.
Maria del Rosario Navarro Sanchez, 37, of Mexico, is accused of coordinating the delivery of methamphetamine and fentanyl pills from Mexico into the U.S. through El Paso border ports of entry, officials said.
FBI agents raided the El Paso home of Bryan Alexis Muñoz Castro, 20, who was allegedly a courier for Navarro Sanchez, involved in smuggling drugs over the border.
FBI agents seized more than 5 pounds of meth (about 2.5 kilos), more than a half pound of fentanyl (300 grams), more than $6,400 in drug money and two cellphones, authorities said.
More: Filmmaker visits El Paso to share stories of fentanyl's deadly impact on area families
Navarro Sanchez is charged with two counts of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, one count of straw purchasing firearms, and one count of trafficking in firearms.
Muñoz Castro is charged with three counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, two counts of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, one count of straw purchasing firearms and one count of trafficking in firearms.
If convicted, they each face up to 10 years to life in prison for each drug charge and a maximum of 15 years for each firearm charge, officials said. Muñoz Castro also faces five to 40 years in prison on another drug case.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: ATF, FBI arrest alleged members of El Paso gun, drug trafficking ring
