San Antonio Man and Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Aiding in the Exportation of Firearms from the United States

(PRESS RELEASE) – In Del Rio, Texas on Monday, June 30, 2014 United States District Judge Alia Moses sentenced 41-year-old CARLO LEE REYES (aka “El Raton”) to 240 months in federal prison, and 39-year-old ALICIA CASTANEDA (aka “Alicia Palomo”) to 33 months in federal prison announced Robert Pitman, United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Janice Ayala, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent Robert Elder, Houston Division.

A jury in Del Rio convicted Reyes on October 3, 2013, of aiding the attempted exportation of firearms from the United States and being a felon in possession of an assault rifle-style firearm. In addition to the prison term, Judge Moses ordered that Carlo Lee Reyes pay a $5,000 fine and be placed under supervised release for a period of three years after completing his prison term. Castaneda pled guilty to aiding the attempted exportation of firearms from the U.S. Judge Moses imposed a supervised release period of three years on Castaneda.

Reyes, who was found guilty for his role in acquiring, paying for, storing, and transporting weapons, is the last defendant to be sentenced as part of Operation Iron Justice, a wide-ranging investigation led by HSI into the exportation of firearms from the United States into Mexico. Reyes would enlist others to locate firearms in San Antonio, and then coordinate through intermediaries to pick up the firearms and move them to a stash house.

From there, others would arrange to pick up the firearms and transport them to Eagle Pass, for ultimate export to the traffickers in Mexico.

Operation Iron Justice, initiated by HSI Eagle Pass in early 2011, targeted several weapons trafficking organizations believed to be acquiring firearms for the “Los Zetas” drug trafficking organization. The firearms, including weapons, ammunition, and assault rifle magazines, were to be smuggled to the Zetas operating in the Piedras Negras, Mexico, area, for protection against rival cartels, the Mexican military, and law enforcement.

The investigation identified several smuggling cells operating in the U.S. Using a number of investigative techniques, agents obtained evidence of the firearm trafficking, including the identification of various individuals involved in the trafficking, the interdiction and seizure of large numbers of firearms, rounds of ammunition, and currency, as well as quantities of cocaine and marijuana. The investigation included the seizure of 15 assault rifles and 518 rifle magazines in September 2011; the seizure of 11 assault rifles and 15 magazines in October 2011; the seizure of $109,545.00 in U.S. currency near Falfurrias, Texas, in October 2011; and the arrest of Richard Hesles, Jr., and his brother, Damian Hesles, owners of Hesles Gun and Knife Store in Eagle Pass, who were responsible for aiding and abetting or attempting the exportation of .50 caliber firearms, ammunition, magazines, and firearm sights to Mexico. All told, Operation Iron Justice resulted in over 50 arrests from indictments brought in the Western District of Texas, the seizure of 63,742 rounds of ammunition, 4,031 magazines, 220 assault rifles, $1,079,834.95 U.S. currency, 35 pounds of cocaine, 173 pounds of marijuana, and 18 vehicles.

The defendants convicted and sentenced in connection with Operation Iron Justice are as follows:

“HSI is committed to working with our state and federal law enforcement partners to dismantle and disrupt any illicit scheme involving the illegal exportation of firearms,” said Janice Ayala, Special Agent-in-Charge, HSI San Antonio. “Keeping these items out of the hands of violent cartels is a top priority for HSI.”

This case was investigated by agents with Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Customs and Border Protection, Texas Department of Public Safety, Bexar County Sheriff’s Department, Maverick County Sheriff’s Department, and the San Antonio Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Galdo and Bryan N. Reeves prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.