Two men are facing federal prison sentences for their roles in firearms trafficking, the U.S. Attorney's office announced. Juan Antonio Cantu-Cavazos, 37, and Jose Luis Caballero, 30, have been sentenced to 48 months each for firearms trafficking offenses. Cantu-Cavazos, a Mexican national, was charged with firearms trafficking and being an alien in possession of a firearm. Caballero admitted guilt to firearms trafficking and the illegal exportation of firearms.
During the sentencing, Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane highlighted the significant number of weapons involved, noting that the serial numbers were removed before the weapons were exported. He stressed the dangerous and complex nature of their trafficking operations.
The investigation revealed that Cantu-Cavazos purchased 32 firearms in September 2022, including 15 AK-47s and three AR-15 variant rifles. He was part of a more extensive operations, working in conjunction with Caballero to obtain firearms requested by a Mexican co-conspirator.
They were involved in purchasing over 150 firearms between October 2021 and September 2022, most of which were high-caliber rifles trafficked into Mexico. Cantu-Cavazos was responsible for retrieving, disassembling, and preparing the firearms for export, while Caballero's role included purchasing firearms in various states and coordinating their exportation.
Cantu-Cavazos will be transferred to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility, while Caballero remains on bond with the opportunity to voluntarily surrender. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Fry prosecuted under the bipartisan Safer Communities Act, passed in June 2022, which aims to address unlawful firearms trafficking.