Obed Rafael Cuevas-Serratos, Ammunition Smuggling, Texas 2020

A 40-year-old Laredo man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for attempting to smuggle 13,000 rounds of ammunition out of the United States. Obed Rafael Cuevas-Serratos, a 40-year-old Laredo man, pleaded guilty on October 28, 2020, to the charges against him.

On August 24, 2020, Cuevas-Serratos purchased 13,000 rounds of 7.62×39 millimeter ammunition in San Antonio. The following day, his car attempted to cross into Mexico. As part of his plea, he admitted that he hired a juvenile to cross the ammunition into Mexico for him.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos ordered Cuevas-Serratos to serve a 30-month sentence, to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Cuevas-Serratos was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

“One of our top enforcement priorities is preventing ammunition from falling into the hands of those who might seek to harm innocent people,” said Deputy Special Agent in Charge Timothy Tubbs of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to combat this threat and hold the perpetrators accountable for putting our communities at risk.”

The investigation was conducted by HSI with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Makens and April Ayers-Perez prosecuted the case.

The case serves as a reminder of the importance of preventing the smuggling of ammunition and the consequences of those who attempt to do so. Cuevas-Serratos’ sentence is a significant step in holding him accountable for his actions and ensuring that our communities remain safe from those who would seek to harm innocent people.

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