SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Tuesday on charges he led a gun smuggling operation to Mexican drug dealers, U.S. Attorney Robert Pittman said.
Marino Castro, Jr. 27, of San Antonio, along with 21 others, conspired to illegally purchase firearms from San Antonio-area gun dealers and then smuggle them into Mexico to members of the Los Zetas drug trafficking organization, court records stated.
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Authorities intercepted five different shipments attributed to this trafficking cell and seized more than 200 firearms, including handguns, AK-47 and AR¬15-style assault rifles and one .50 caliber Barrett sniper rifle, between May and August 2010.
"This case illustrates the federal government's commitment to stem the tide of firearms being illegally smuggled into Mexico, where they are frequently employed in the violent drug trade," Pitman said. "The message here is that if you smuggle firearms or assist smugglers in obtaining firearms illegally, you are not only morally responsible for how these firearms are being used to commit atrocious crimes in Mexico, but you will face severe consequences under the law."
On Dec. 2, 2010, Castro pleaded guilty to these charges, along with one count of possession of a firearm with a destroyed serial number by a felon. Castro had already been convicted and received a nine month prison sentence for illegally transporting people across the border in 2009.
Castro is the last of 21 defendants convicted in this scheme to be sentenced to federal prison. Other prison sentences range from 12 months to 168 months.