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DeLand Crew Sentenced for Arming Mexican Cartels
ORLANDO, FL – Six men from DeLand, Florida, are facing serious time behind bars after being convicted of fueling the bloody operations of Mexican drug cartels. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced the sentences today, stemming from a year-long investigation into a sophisticated firearms trafficking ring operating right here in the Middle District of Florida.
The ringleader, Angel Velazquez Delgado (34, DeLand), received the harshest sentence: 9 years in federal prison after being found guilty of firearms trafficking and straw purchasing. Delgado orchestrated the purchase of at least 10 high-caliber weapons destined for the hands of cartel enforcers. His accomplices also received significant sentences: Jesus Hernandez (32, DeLand) – 3 years, 10 months for straw purchasing of 10 firearms; Edgar Jimenez (30, DeLand) – 3 years for straw purchasing of 5 firearms; Jesus Paulino (27, DeLand) – 2 years for straw purchasing of 4 firearms; Jonathan Borja (23, DeLand) – 1 year, 6 months for straw purchasing of 2 firearms; and Jesus Andres (28, DeLand) – 1 year, 6 months for making a false statement on a firearm transaction record relating to the purchase of 2 firearms.
According to court documents, the ATF began investigating the operation in May 2023. The conspiracy wasn’t about petty crime; these men weren’t peddling handguns. They were trafficking in serious firepower, including approximately 11 Barrett .50 caliber rifles – weapons capable of defeating body armor and disabling vehicles – and around 16 FN M249S rifles, easily converted into machineguns. These aren’t hunting rifles. They are weapons of war, intended for one purpose: to escalate violence and maintain control in the ruthless world of Mexican cartels.
The consequences of this operation weren’t theoretical. Mexican authorities recovered a Barrett .50 caliber rifle purchased by Jesus Hernandez at the scene of a shootout with the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) in Zitacuaro, Michoacan, on March 22, 2023. Two individuals were killed in that exchange. The investigation also revealed the conspirators were actively removing serial numbers from the firearms before shipping them south, further obscuring the trail and aiding the cartels.
“Dismantling this Central Florida-based firearms trafficking ring is a huge win for public safety in Mexico and America,” stated Kirk Howard, Special Agent in Charge of the Tampa Field Division of the ATF. U.S. Attorney Kehoe added, “These individuals have trafficked high-caliber, military-grade weapons into the hands of dangerous Mexican cartel members and thus have caused a serious risk to the health and safety of others.”
The investigation involved a multi-agency effort, including Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Volusia Bureau of Investigations, and the DeLand Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Lyons and Noah Dorman prosecuted the case, which is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing violent crime. This is just one battle in a larger war against the flow of illegal weapons and the cartels that profit from chaos.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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