Jorge Rodriguez, Illegally Possessing Firearms, Texas 2012

McALLEN, Texas – In a shocking case of firearms trafficking, Jorge Rodriguez, a 35-year-old man from Pharr, Texas, has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for illegally possessing firearms with plans to export, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson.

Rodriguez, a resident of Pharr, entered a guilty plea in the case, which began after agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were alerted to individuals who had made straw purchases of firearms.

According to the investigation, Rodriguez aided and abetted Eduardo Villanova-Anaya, a 21-year-old Mexican citizen who was also involved in the case, by acting as a driver, assistant and protection at a meeting with an undercover ATF agent.

During the meeting, Villanova-Anaya stated that the firearms were going to be smuggled into Mexico, and Rodriguez was arrested along with Villanova-Anaya as they attempted to pick up the firearms.

Rodriguez has been in custody without bond and will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The investigation was conducted by the ATF, and Assistant United States Attorney Steven Schammel prosecuted the case.

The exact date of the crime was not specified, but the sentencing occurred on an unspecified date in 2012.

Rodriguez’s exact criminal charges were not specified, but he was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for illegally possessing firearms with plans to export.

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