A Del Rio man, Mark Anthony Jimenez, known as M-Thang, has entered a guilty plea in federal court for a firearms trafficking conspiracy charge. As reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Western District of Texas, Jimenez, 23, was found to be in possession of a pistol equipped with an illegal "Glock switch," a machine gun conversion device that transforms a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic firearm.
The announcement detailed Jimenez's actions, including the purchase of two boxes of 9mm ammunition in Del Rio, the sharing of Facebook videos that depicted the illicit use of the weapon. Alongside 20-year-old Alleena Nikole Soto, and a juvenile, the group was seen discharging the automatic pistol, an action that Jimenez knew to be illegal – as was Soto's possession of any firearm due to her status as a convicted felon.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) initiated an investigation following the discovery of these videos. At the scene where Jimenez was filmed using the weapon, the ATF recovered several 9mm shell casings that matched the ammunition he had purchased, further implicating him in the commission of the crime.
With a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison hanging over his head, Jiminez's fate is in the hands of a federal district court judge who will take into account U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other statutory factors. His co-defendant, Soto, is currently in custody pending further legal actions. The complex case is a combined effort, investigated by multiple agencies, including the ATF, DEA, U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and local law enforcement.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza emphasized the gravity of the matter, overseeing the legal proceedings while Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayvee Rhoda leads the prosecution. The guilty plea marks a significant moment in the ongoing efforts to combat illegal firearms trafficking and the spread of unauthorized firearm modifications that pose a threat to public safety.
