Jose Guadalupe Martinez-Ortiz, Smuggling Firearms, Texas 2022

DEL RIO, Texas – A Kansas man is facing serious charges after being caught smuggling firearms, ammunition, and other accessories into Mexico. Jose Guadalupe Martinez-Ortiz, 28, of Garden City, Kansas, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Del Rio last week.

According to court documents, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers conducting outbound inspections at the Eagle Pass Camino Real Bridge II on December 16, 2022, searched a pickup and utility trailer operated by Martinez-Ortiz. The officers found three handguns, four magazines, three gun scopes, and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

Martinez-Ortiz appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victor R. Garcia of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas on December 19, 2022. He is charged with one count of smuggling goods from the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas and Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio Division made the announcement. HSI and CBP are investigating the case, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Brown is prosecuting it.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Martinez-Ortiz’s case serves as a reminder of the seriousness of smuggling firearms and the consequences that come with it. If convicted, he could face a significant prison sentence, which would be determined by a federal district court judge after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The investigation and prosecution of this case demonstrate the commitment of law enforcement agencies to preventing the smuggling of firearms and other prohibited items into Mexico.

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