Taco King Audeves Admits to Guns & Illegal Hire

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Blademir Angulo Audeves, 42, of Mexico, is facing serious time after admitting to a double-barreled crime spree: illegally possessing firearms while himself being in the country unlawfully, and knowingly employing at least twelve undocumented workers at his Phoenix-area taco restaurants. Audeves pleaded guilty on August 20, 2025, to one count of Alien in Possession of a Firearm and one count of Knowingly Employing Unauthorized Aliens.

Audeves owns and operates El Taqueria El Taco Loko LLC, a local chain boasting a brick-and-mortar location and two mobile units. Federal prosecutors say Audeves wasn’t just running a business, he was running a shadow operation, knowingly exploiting undocumented immigrants to keep his restaurants staffed. The plea agreement reveals he hired and paid individuals who either lacked lawful permanent residency in the United States or were not authorized to work within its borders.

But the illegal labor wasn’t Audeves’ only transgression. In July 2025, authorities discovered Audeves was also in possession of three firearms – along with ammunition – a clear violation of federal law given his own unauthorized immigration status. The discovery raises questions about the source of these weapons and what Audeves intended to do with them. Sources close to the investigation suggest the firearms are linked to ongoing cartel activity in the region, though that remains unconfirmed.

The feds aren’t playing around. A conviction for Alien in Possession of a Firearm carries a hefty maximum sentence of fifteen years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of Knowingly Employing Unauthorized Aliens isn’t being treated lightly either, with a potential sentence of six months behind bars and a $3,000 fine per undocumented worker. That means Audeves could face a combined penalty exceeding $36,000 in fines alone.

This case is being touted as part of “Operation Take Back America,” a broad-stroke federal initiative aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration, dismantling cartels, and tackling transnational criminal organizations. It’s a politically charged program, and Audeves’ case is likely to become a poster child for the initiative’s proponents. The Department of Justice is throwing the full weight of its Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) into the prosecution.

Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation, with the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handling the prosecution. Audeves is scheduled to be sentenced on October 28, 2025, before United States District Judge Humetewa. Case Number: CR-25-01029. Release Number: 2025-138_Audeves. Stay tuned to Grimy Times for further updates on this developing story.