Major Export Enforcement Cases - Directorate of Defense Trade ...
Major Export Enforcement Cases - Directorate of Defense Trade ...
Major Export Enforcement Cases - Directorate of Defense Trade ...
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were traced back to these defendants. Angelo Vega pleaded guilty on Aug. 25, 2011 to one count<br />
<strong>of</strong> conspiracy to smuggle firearms, one count <strong>of</strong> smuggling goods from the United States and one<br />
count <strong>of</strong> extortion. Several other defendants have also pleaded guilty to charges in the<br />
indictment. Eddie Espinoza pleaded guilty on July 12, 2011 and was sentenced to 51 months in<br />
prison on June 14, 2012. Alberto Rivera pleaded guilty on July 15, 2011 and was sentenced to 90<br />
months in prison on Oct. 9, 2012. Miguel Carrillo pleaded guilty on July 19, 2011 and was<br />
sentenced on Oct. 9, 2012 to 46 months in prison. Manuel Ortega pleaded guilty on July 20, 2011<br />
and was sentenced to 70 months in prison on Oct. 9, 2012. Gabriela Gutierrez pleaded guilty on<br />
April 4, 2012 and was sentenced on Oct. 9, 2012 to 24 months in prison. Ian Garland pleaded<br />
guilty on July 21, 2011 and was sentenced to five years in prison on May 24, 2012. Vicente<br />
Carreon pleaded guilty on July 22, 2011 and was sentenced on March 21, 2012 to 46 months in<br />
prison. Eva Gutierrez pleaded guilty on July 15, 2011. Ricardo Gutierrez pleaded guilty on July<br />
18, 2011. Blas Gutierrez pleaded guilty on Aug. 1, 2011. The investigation was conducted by<br />
ATF, ICE and DEA.<br />
Firearms to Colombia -- On March 8, 2011, in the Southern District <strong>of</strong> Texas, Patrick Regan and<br />
his Colombian-born wife, Ximena del Pilar Echeverry Arias were arrested on a criminal<br />
complaint charging the couple with conspiracy, smuggling goods from the United States and<br />
possession <strong>of</strong> a firearm with an obliterated serial number. In Dec. 2010, agents saw Regan and<br />
Arias ship numerous boxes addressed to recipients in Colombia. An examination <strong>of</strong> those boxes<br />
resulted in a determination that the name <strong>of</strong> the addressee was fictitious, the shipping address was<br />
an abandoned residence in Colombia, the shipper’s name and address was fictitious and the<br />
contents falsely described. The boxes contained 16 firearms and each had its serial number<br />
obliterated. Agents intercepted two subsequent firearms shipments allegedly made by Regan to<br />
Colombian addresses. Records obtained during the investigation showed Arias, while living in<br />
Colombia, had allegedly signed for 12 <strong>of</strong> the 67 similarly suspicious packages addressed to her<br />
home and wire transferred more than $39,000 from a bank in Colombia to Regan’s account in the<br />
United States. At the time <strong>of</strong> the arrests, agents seized 50 lower and 13 upper receivers for AR-<br />
15 style semi-automatic rifles, an unregistered fully assembled short-barrel AR-15 rifle, two<br />
pieces <strong>of</strong> metal working machinery and 13 AR-15 style lower receivers. The Colombian National<br />
Police arrested three individuals in Colombia and dismantled a workshop where firearms were<br />
being assembled from the lower receivers Regan and Arias allegedly supplied and other essential<br />
components. This investigation was conducted by ATF and ICE.<br />
Firearms and Ammunition to Mexico – On Feb. 11, 2011, Isaac Cervantes-Sanchez and Leonel<br />
Richard Soto, were sentenced in the Southern District <strong>of</strong> Texas to 46 months in prison and 24<br />
months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the straw purchasing firearms and ammunition<br />
bound for Mexico. Cervantes-Sanchez was convicted <strong>of</strong> illegally exporting munitions, while<br />
Soto was convicted <strong>of</strong> lying to buy two AK-47s for Cervantes-Sanchez. Both men pleaded guilty<br />
to the <strong>of</strong>fenses in December 2010. In August 2009, federal agents saw the defendants load<br />
approximately 4,000 rounds <strong>of</strong> ammunition into a vehicle driven by Cervantes. CBP agents<br />
stopped Cervantes and Soto as they attempted to leave the United States. Cervantes admitted to<br />
exporting the ammunition to Mexico. Soto purchased two AK-47 type firearms for Cervantes and<br />
was paid $300 to do so. Both men have been in federal custody since their August 2008 arrest.<br />
The investigation was conducted by ATF, ICE and CBP.<br />
Ammunition to Mexico – On Feb. 11, 2011, Arnulfo Chavarin, Mariano Perez-Rodriguez and<br />
Francisco Chavez were arrested in the District <strong>of</strong> Arizona in connection with the export <strong>of</strong><br />
firearms and ammunition to Mexico. Authorities discovered 12,525 rounds <strong>of</strong> ammunition in<br />
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