EL PASO, TX – A brazen attempt to arm Mexican cartels landed 22-year-old Erick Arenas Pascual, of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, in federal court, where he pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy to traffic firearms and illegal re-entry into the United States. The case, spearheaded by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), reveals a direct pipeline of weapons flowing south of the border.
On January 25th, ATF agents observed Pascual driving a co-defendant to a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) in El Paso. The co-defendant purchased a handgun, and as the pair left the store, agents moved in. A search of Pascual’s vehicle revealed a second recently purchased handgun, along with a staggering 100 rounds of ammunition. The bust wasn’t a random stop; investigators quickly determined Pascual was a key player in a larger operation.
Court documents show Pascual wasn’t just making a single run. He had planned, and successfully delivered, firearms to individuals tasked with smuggling them into Mexico. This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. He was knowingly supplying weapons intended for use by criminal organizations. Adding to the severity of the crime, records from the Department of Homeland Security confirmed Pascual was not authorized to be in the U.S. at all.
Pascual had been previously deported through El Paso in August 2020. Despite the removal order, he illegally re-entered the country, actively engaging in criminal activity. The ATF’s Dallas Field Division, led by Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II, built the case, exposing a clear disregard for U.S. law and a willingness to fuel violence in Mexico. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas is prosecuting the case.
Pascual now faces up to 15 years in federal prison for the conspiracy to traffic firearms charge and an additional two years for the illegal re-entry charge. While a guilty plea is secured, the actual sentence will be determined by a federal district judge, taking into account U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant factors. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Juan Albino and Nallely Barbosa are handling the prosecution.
This case is a stark reminder of the constant flow of illegal firearms across the U.S.-Mexico border and the ATF’s ongoing efforts to disrupt these networks. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the sentencing as it becomes available, exposing the individuals and operations that profit from violence.
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- Terry Dewayne Monk, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Tyler TX, 2023 · Texas
- Bobby Joe Hampton, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, AR, 2015 · Texas
- Russell Cary Owens, Illegal Firearm Possession, W.Va. 2023 · Ohio
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