A 67-year-old Mexican resident has pleaded guilty to serious charges of attempting to smuggle a cache of firearms and a substantial quantity of ammo across the border. The U.S. Department of Justice broke the news that Jose De Jesus Pena Dieguez, hailing from Guadalajara, Mexico, was halted by law enforcement at the Progreso Port of Entry on January 11.
During an inspection of Dieguez's Nissan Xterra, authorities detected signs of tampering with the screws on a compartment connected to the vehicle's roof rack. An x-ray scan cast light on anomalies, spurring a thorough search. In the innards of the car, agents unearthed 16 firearms, 31 magazines, and 800 rounds of ammunition. Dieguez confessed that his intent was the illegal export of these arms back to Mexico, according to a statement obtained by Fox San Antonio.
U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani condemned the act, stating, "Dieguez potentially put lives at risk for his own personal gain - intending to profit by selling firearms illegally smuggled out of the United States,” Hamdani emphasized the gravity of such crimes, elucidating their peril not just domestically but also for innocent citizens in Mexico, as reported by The U.S. Department of Justice.
Determined to face justice, Dieguez is awaiting sentencing scheduled for June 11, where he could be looking at up to 10 years in federal prison and a significant fine upward of $250,000. Dieguez remains in custody until the day of reckoning arrives. The case highlighting the international implication of such illicit trades was a joint effort by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Customs and Border Protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan is at the legal helm, prosecuting as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, which underscores the federal resolve to diminish violent crime. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in May 2021 had amplified the efforts of PSN to curtail especially the gun violence thrumming at the core of community unrest.
