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Defendant Sentenced for Shooting Federal Agent
McAllen, TX – Pedro Alvarado, 43, and his son Arnoldo Alvarado, 20, received significant sentences for the 2012 aggravated assault on a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent. On July 3, 2012, in the early morning hours, HSI agents received information regarding a tractor-trailer located near Hargill that was going to be used to transport a large load of marijuana.
A federal jury in McAllen convicted Pedro Alvarado on March 21, 2014, following a four-day trial. U.S. District Judge Randy Crane sentenced Pedro Alvarado to 120 months for aggravated assault of a federal agent and 120 months for discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The court ordered that the sentences run consecutive for a total sentence of 240 months of federal imprisonment followed by a three-year-term of supervised release.
Around 3:30 a.m., one of the individuals conducting surveillance noticed several vehicles in the area, including a vehicle parked near Pedro Alvarado’s residence. Pedro Alvarado then told his sons, Arnoldo, and another 16-year-old minor, to get their guns and get into their pickup truck.
Pedro Alvarado drove the truck with his sons as passengers, without his headlights, near the location the agent was parked. As the truck approached, the agent began to drive away, at which time the 16-year-old minor began shooting with a .22 caliber rifle. Pedro Alvarado continued to pursue the agent at a high rate of speed, while Arnoldo Alvarado began to shoot at him with a 9 mm firearm.
Around one mile into the chase, a bullet struck the agent in the back. The agent attempted to get away, but Pedro Alvarado continued the pursuit. The agent ultimately landed in a brush where he got out of the vehicle and managed to run to avoid being detected by the assailants.
The subsequent investigation led agents to the residence of Pedro Alvarado, where agents conducted a search and found both weapons used during the assault hidden in the attic. Both men have been in custody since their arrests on July 3, 2012, and will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI and HSI investigated the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anibal J. Alaniz and James Sturgis prosecuting the case.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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