A Texas gang member will spend more than five years behind bars for stocking a small arsenal, federal officials said. Daniel Garza, a known Valluco gang affiliate from San Juan, was sentenced to a 70-month federal prison term for possessing multiple illegal firearms as a convicted felon, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Garza, 42, had previous convictions for weapons-related offenses, making it illegal for him to own guns or ammo, the release stated. Despite the law, on June 27, 2023, law enforcement officials found two firearms, a stash of magazines, body armor, and a mask during a raid on his home. The agents, who had been tailing Garza after suspecting him of hoarding weapons, also found evidence on Garza's own social media, showing him with a belt-fed rifle and bragging about a fully automatic firearm.

On Nov. 30, 2023, Garza pled guilty to the charges, and now, Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has handed down the sentence, which includes three years of supervised release following his prison stint. "At the hearing, the court heard evidence of additional firearms Garza possessed", the U.S. Attorney's Office stated. Garza will remain in federal custody until he's transferred to a prison.

This case was the result of a joint investigation by several agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan prosecuted the case, part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program aimed at reducing violent crime, reinvigorated in May 2021 by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. The comprehensive strategy outlines key principles, such as fostering community trust, supporting violence prevention groups, strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring impact to curb violent crime rates.