Juan Antonio Cepeda, Attempting to Export Firearm and Ammunition, Texas 2020

LAREDO, Texas – Attempting to export large quantities of firearms and ammunition to Mexico has landed a Laredo man behind bars, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Juan Antonio Cepeda, a 48-year-old Laredo resident, pleaded guilty to the crime on January 4, 2023.

In a hearing today, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana ordered Cepeda to serve a 41-month sentence, followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, Judge Saldana noted Cepeda had a lengthy criminal history and a long struggle with drug addiction.

The case began on September 14, 2020, when authorities conducted a traffic stop on Interstate Highway 35. Inside Cepeda’s vehicle, they found 14 firearms and over 20,000 rounds of ammunition. Cepeda admitted to knowingly attempting to export the ammunition to Mexico for a $2,000 payment.

The investigation was jointly conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Laredo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez prosecuted the case.

Cepeda has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The exact criminal charges against Cepeda are not specified in the source, however, it is clear that he was attempting to export firearms and ammunition to Mexico.

This case is a stark reminder of the serious consequences of attempting to export large quantities of firearms and ammunition to foreign countries.

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