Gunrunner Gets 15 Years for Cartel Pipeline

⏱ 3 min read

Jose De La Cruz-Cardoza, 52, is trading the Rio Grande for a federal cell after a judge slapped him with 15 years for running guns to a Mexican drug cartel. Federal agents busted Cardoza at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry on July 12, 2025, trying to shove eight handguns and 19 magazines across the border. It wasn’t a spontaneous decision; Cardoza confessed to at least ten previous smuggling runs, raking in $150-$200 per gun.

The operation wasn’t just Cardoza acting alone. Four days later, on July 16th, ATF agents, alongside San Antonio PD and ICE, raided the home of co-conspirator Reymundo Hernandez-Nino. The search turned up a terrifying stockpile: 24 firearms, including multiple AR-15 style rifles and a shotgun, plus over 4,000 rounds of ammunition and body armor. All allegedly destined for the same cartel Cardoza was supplying.

Cardoza pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic firearms in September, and the judge didn’t pull any punches. A $15,000 fine was added to the 180-month sentence. While U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons touted the bust as a win for interagency cooperation (case number 2:25cr1979), the outcome speaks for itself: a significant disruption to a dangerous cross-border pipeline.

The feds aren’t talking specifics about which cartel benefitted, but the scale of the operation suggests a serious attempt to arm a major player in the borderlands. The bust is a reminder that the flow of illegal weapons south of the border remains a constant threat, and the price for participating is steep.