A federal grand jury in Laredo, Texas, has indicted three individuals on various federal charges related to firearms, drug trafficking, and immigration offenses. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the 14-count indictment against Fernando Patinio, 31, of Laredo, and Albert Garcia-Guajardo, 32, along with Jose Hernandez-Garza, 25. Both Garcia-Guajardo and Hernandez-Garza are illegal aliens residing unlawfully in the United States.
The trio was already in custody following initial charges from a criminal complaint. They are set to appear before a U.S. magistrate judge regarding the allegations detailed in the indictment.
According to the charges, Patinio and Garcia-Guajardo allegedly sold cocaine and multiple weapons, including machine guns, during an undercover investigation lasting about a month. In one instance involving a pistol transaction, Garcia-Guajardo purportedly indicated that drugs were also available for sale through him and Patinio.
On January 2nd, Patinio and Garcia-Guajardo allegedly sold a Glock model 22 machine gun equipped with a conversion device. The charges further state that they arranged subsequent sales of cocaine and additional machine guns over the following weeks.
Authorities executed a search warrant on January 31st at an address on Monterrey Street in Laredo where they found Garcia-Guajardo and Hernandez-Garza. The search reportedly uncovered several more firearms, narcotics, a scale, and numerous rounds of ammunition.
The indictment claims both Garcia-Guajardo and Hernandez-Garza were illegally present in the United States. It alleges that Garcia-Guajardo had been ordered removed twice from the country by July 2024. Meanwhile, Hernandez-Garza's B1/B2 visa had expired.
Throughout the investigation, law enforcement officials reportedly seized two machine guns; eight pistols (one with a filed-off serial number); drum-style magazines; cocaine; crack cocaine; marijuana; and various rounds of .40 S&W caliber and 9 mm caliber ammunition.
If convicted of conspiracy to traffic machine guns during drug trafficking offenses and using a machine gun in drug trafficking activities, both Garcia-Guajardo and Patinio face mandatory minimum sentences of 30 years up to life imprisonment. Hernandez-Garza could face up to 15 years if convicted as an illegal alien possessing firearms. Each could also be fined up to $250,000.
The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Laredo Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Border Patrol; Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tory R. Sailer and Brandon Scott Bowling are prosecuting this case.
It is important to note that an indictment serves as a formal accusation rather than evidence itself—a defendant remains presumed innocent until proven guilty through due legal process.